Reaching for Stars
by knicnort3
Summary: Sometimes you don't know what you're looking for until you've already found it. *Inspired by the movie "August Rush". Ten year old Bree runs away from her foster home to meet her favorite singer. Eighteen year old Bella needs a new outlook on life, and finds solace in a beautiful stranger that completely turns her life upside down. *AH, B/E, sum inside
1. Music

**Reaching for Stars**

Ten year old Bree Tanner has a dream to meet the band Cullen, or more specifically, their lead singer Edward Masen. When Cullen's summer tour brings them closer than ever, Bree knows it's her chance. Against the wishes of her parents, she sets out on a journey to finally meet her idol, but in doing so she learns more about herself than she ever thought possible.

Eighteen year old Isabella Swan is focused. She dedicates every last minute to her Columbia University education, but when her roommate asks to be accompanied to a party for the band Cullen, Isabella reluctantly agrees. While there, she meets a dashing stranger who completely captivates her, and for the first time in her life, she finds herself falling off course.

**Inspired by the movie "_August Rush",_ this story follows both Bree and Bella as they struggle to overcome the hardships they face, and find a way back to the life they were always meant to be living.

AH, B/E, Banner on my profile. There will be some romance, drama, slight angst, and ultimately an uplifting HEA.

* * *

Chapter 1 - Music

**Bree**

I often felt like I was from a different planet. Nobody understood me, and as much as I tried, I didn't understand them either. It may have sounded odd, but the only time I felt like I truly belonged anywhere was when I was listening to music. Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Debussy, all the classics really…It was a release from everyday life, an escape, a level of freedom that didn't exist in reality, at least not for me.

"Bree, turn off that damn music!" Victoria screamed at me. She hated my music, well I think she just hated noise altogether, especially when she had a hangover - which was pretty much every morning. "Did you hear me? I said turn it off!"

"Yes, Ma'am," I told her while reaching behind the dresser for the plug. I never had one of those little electronic music thingies like all the other kids in school did, but I was still grateful for my giant eighties boom box all the same, even if the on/off switch broke sometime before I was born.

Suddenly the bedroom door swung open, and I had to reflexively duck from the TV remote flying at my head. "You little ungrateful twit!" Victoria shrieked from the doorway. "I have told you repeatedly to call me '_mom_'!"

"Sorry mom," I whispered as politely as possible, and I even forced out an apologetic smile just to appease her. I wasn't exactly sure why Victoria insisted on me calling her mom, I suppose technically she was my foster mother, but the truth was I had only known her for a few months and I was sure it wouldn't be long before I was living in someone else's home. But I wasn't upset about it, that was just the way it was for kids like me; I bounced around from foster home to foster home, it was the only life I ever knew.

However I did credit my current home to changing my world for the better. Victoria's husband Riley, who compassionately gave me his old boom box and classical tapes, introduced me to the greatest love I ever experienced….Cullen.

I always despised rock music, but there was something about the band Cullen that spoke to me. It was the emotions in the melodies, the passion in the lyrics, the tone of the lead singer's voice. And when I found a poster of the band in a downtown dumpster, I knew that someday, someway, I had to meet Edward Masen….

~X~

**Bella**

"Come on Bella, I _need_ you," Alice pouted like a child. "A party like this only comes once in a life time."

"That's what you said about the last party you dragged me to," I replied evenly.

"Hey, you should be proud of me for being responsible," she said with a cheesy smile.

"You know, it's not really called a 'designated driver' when we always take a cab."

"Yes, but you know me, if I don't have anyone there with me I'll get too wasted to even remember how to tell the cabby where I live. Come on Bella, _Cullen_ is supposed to be there."

"And who's Cullen again?" I asked completely clueless.

"It's that band that I went and saw the other day. Bella, they are so freaken good, and I doubt they'll even be in the area much longer."

I sighed. If it was anyone asking other than Alice I would have never even considered it, but she was my roommate, and frankly, the only friend I had in New York. I had become somewhat antisocial since my arrival at Columbia, and usually I convinced myself that it was a good thing because I was there to focus on my studies, but in reality perhaps I was just a little shy and insecure. I had always been the quietest of my friends back home as well, but that was my role in our group and everyone accepted it as just who I was. In New York, however, being quiet seemed to be a fault; I was constantly being bumped into on the streets, my professors usually made me repeat myself, and flagging down a cab always seemed like a giant feat.

"_You just need time to acclimate,"_ my father repeatedly told me every time he'd call to see how I was doing. I seriously began to wonder why the heck I didn't just lie and tell him everything was great.

"Alright…I'll go," I said to Alice, which was immediately followed by squealing cheers.

"Okay, you only have twenty minutes to get ready…but that will be more than enough for you…Maybe we should give you a mini makeover," she said as she looked me up and down.

"In twenty minutes?" I scoffed, trying not to be offended by her obvious knock against my looks.

"Well at least put on some of my makeup."

"I'm not going so I can impress anyone."

"Fine," she relented, but when we were in the cab heading to the party, she attacked me with powder and mascara. It was rather traumatic.

When we arrived at the party, it was exactly like I knew it would be - overcrowded with horrendously loud music. An hour later Alice was having the time of her life, and my head was pounding so hard that I wanted to end my life. To save myself from suicide, I went for the exit, but then the music abruptly changed and the crowd shifted resulting in me getting pushed towards the back of the room. So I ducked into a hall and somehow found myself ascending a flight of stairs, though I had no idea why or where they possible headed. Unfortunately the door at the top was stuck, so instead of thinking rationally that it was locked, I threw my shoulder into it and forced it to open.

"Oh," I said surprised when I realized that I was on the building roof. I turned and shut the door behind me in the hope that partygoers wouldn't follow me out, and then I walked to the edge of the roof and looked down at the congested city street below.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice said from behind me.

I quickly spun around to face him, and for a brief moment I forgot how to breathe. "Huh?" I asked like a moron. I was never one to lose it over a pretty face, but there was something about the man that made me completely befuddled.

"The city at night," he clarified. "It's beautiful."

"Oh…I don't know…I never really thought about it," I said bashfully.

He had been sitting on a lounge chair beside the door, but he got up and walked over to me and glanced down at the street as well.

"You're not from around here, are you?" he said gently.

"No…I'm from a small town on the west coast. There are a bit too many people here for my liking," I said honestly. "It's never quiet."

"Yeah, I could see that. But…perhaps you're just looking at it in the wrong way."

I laughed once. "Are you going to tell me that all these strangers are just friends I haven't met yet?"

He chuckled. "No, but that is a good one. Where'd you hear it, _Sesame Street_?"

I giggled. "No, but that is probably where my dad first heard it. He does have a thing for Big Bird."

After a minute of strangely comfortable silence, he looked back at me pensively. "So what brings you to The Big Apple?"

I shrugged. "College."

He nodded. "Let me guess…NYU? No wait, Columbia."

"How'd you know?" I asked impressed.

"Actually most of the people here tonight seem to be from Columbia," he admitted sheepishly. "These things usually spread by word of mouth."

"I guess so."

"I don't mean to be presumptuous or anything, but usually people who go to Columbia are smart enough to have their choice of any school they want, so…what made you pick here if you hate cities so much?"

I stared off into the distance as I considered his question, and then I looked back at him and told him one of the most honest things I had ever said. "Because it scares me."

There was something in his eyes as he looked at me with a strange intensity. It was like he was staring right through me, and suddenly I felt naked and exposed, but strangely enough, it was exhilarating at the same time. "What?" I asked with an anxious grin as he continued to stare.

He shook his head and then finally looked away. "Nothing. You're just unexpected, that's all."

I wanted to respond, but then something below caught both of our attentions. "What is that?" I asked.

"Sounds like a harmonica. Probably a street performer or something."

"At this hour?" I asked surprised. It was strange how the gentle twang of the harmonica could rise above the noise of the street, but it was nice, peaceful.

"Real street performers prefer to play at night when the hustling flow of the business work day is finished. There's a different vibe, a certain cadence that evenings in a big city give off which can't be replicated anywhere else in the world."

"What do you mean?" I asked legitimately interested.

"Well, just listen…What do you hear?"

I froze for a few moments, but all I heard was the racket from the party below us. "I don't hear anything."

"That's because you're not truly listening."

"So I should tune out the party?"

"No, it's just part of it. Every bout of laughter, every honking car horn, every clunk from the day's garbage being taken to the curb…"

"It's music," I finished his sentence for him.

"It's a symphony," he corrected. "An orchestra for anyone to enjoy…all you have to do is listen."

"I hear it now," I told him, and I really did. It was magical in a way, and I knew I'd never look at the city the same again.

We continued to listen for a while, but suddenly I realized that for the first time since leaving home, I didn't feel so lost…which strangely enough only made me miss home more than ever. It was a confusing feeling, one that left me a bit light headed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, reading me way more than I would have ever thought possible from a stranger.

"Nothing."

"Something," he contradicted.

"No, it's silly really. Nothing worth sharing."

"You miss your home?" he guessed.

I huffed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Nah…I think most people feel that way when they leave the familiarity of home for the first time."

"And what about you; are you away from home, or are you a native Yankee?" I asked, hoping to divert the attention away from my pathetic life.

He smiled wistfully. "I'm from Chicago, so I guess it's not that much different than here. What do you miss the most about your home…I mean, besides family and friends," he asked, swooping the conversation right back to me.

"I don't know, the stars maybe….The high buildings and bright lights don't let too much of the sky through."

"That's true….but again, maybe you're just not looking at it the right way."

"Meaning?" I asked with a smile, already knowing he had another beautiful lesson to teach me.

"Come here," he said before grabbing my hand. The moment his skin touched mine there was an immediate physical reaction that zinged between us; it was electrifying, a spark stronger than any other I felt before. He looked at me as if he felt it too, but he just smiled and pulled me behind him towards the opposite side of the roof. "Look," he insisted while pointing out over the city skyline.

My heart jumped. "Stars!" I said excitedly. It wasn't really stars; in fact it was overcast that night, but the lights illuminating from all the buildings' windows was almost as amazing. It surprised me that I never noticed it before, but then again, I was always too busy to pause long enough to truly see anything. "Thank you for showing this to me…"

"Edward," he answered with a crooked smile. He still had my hand grasped firmly in his, but he squeezed it tenderly as almost a way to shake my hand for the greeting.

"I'm Bella," I said with a returning smile.

"Well Bella, it's nice to meet you."

My heart fluttered. "It's nice to meet you too."


	2. Dreaming of Better

Chapter 2 – Dreaming of Better

**Bree**

"No! What are you doing?" I screamed as I helplessly watched my foster siblings tear down my Cullen poster.

"What are you going to do, cry about it?" Diego sneered, and little Sasha laughed.

"Why?" I asked as they began shredding the poster into pieces.

"Because I can," Diego said coldly.

I wanted to lash out. I seriously considered attacking him. Other than my classical tapes, that poster was the most important possession I had, but I never shed a single tear from the loss. I refused to explode, and I refused to cry; no matter how bad it hurt, no matter how sad I was, no matter how lonely I felt, crying was something I had given up years before, and I refused to start again then. I didn't want to give Diego the satisfaction of breaking me, because obviously that was what he wanted.

"Hey, Cheetos," Diego said, taking yet another jab at me. He and the other kids always called me something to do with cheese, simply because my name was Bree. The spelling didn't even matter, they couldn't spell anyway, they just knew it was hurtful and it seemed to be their life mission to hurt me. Cheese Sticks, String Cheese, Cheese Its, Cheddar; they even called me Nachos from time to time. "Want to kiss your boyfriend goodbye?" he asked while holding up the piece of poster which showed Edward Masen's face.

"He's not my boyfriend," I replied.

"No, you only wish he was," Diego laughed cruelly, before ripping the poster down the middle right between Edward's eyes. Then he threw the pieces at me, and finally left me alone.

Apart from the horrendous murder of my poster, Diego's words really bothered me. I didn't have a crush on anyone. My love for the band was on an entirely different level that I couldn't properly put into words. I just felt a strong connection to them; it was like a calling to come home, and somehow I knew that if I could ever just meet Edward Masen, everything in my life would be better.

~X~

**Bella**

There was a certain magic in the air that night, and after only knowing Edward for a few hours, there was a lifetime's worth of comfort between us. He was incredibly warm and sweet, and there a sense of calm with him that I hadn't experienced since arriving in New York.

We talked about anything and everything, and even the more generic topics felt beautifully personal. He asked a lot of questions about my life, and then he'd listen to the answer like I was the most fascinating person in the world.

Like me, he didn't seem to enjoy talking about himself very much, but every once in a while I'd get a little snippet of information. He loved New York style pizza, but nowhere in the city was there a better hotdog than Chicago's. He wasn't really into sports, but the Cubs would always hold a special place in his heart because his late father was a diehard fan. And he was a music buff; something I knew nothing about but was sincerely fascinated by, _mostly because of the amazing light in his emerald eyes as he spoke of it_. But because of his incredible deflecting skills, he always managed to change the subject when I'd ask him anything deeper, and of course that subject usually revolved back around to me…

"So when you're not studying to become a super doctor, what do you do for fun?" he asked gently. At some point we had moved our conversation to the roof's musty weathered couch, and we were lounging back together with our fingers still intertwined, but after telling him about my plans to get a medical degree, he seemed a little concerned.

I shrugged. "It's not the time for fun; I have a responsibility to stay focused. My dad has always worked hard to insure that I have every opportunity to make something of myself, and that's exactly what I have to do."

He nodded. "But you still need a way to unwind; otherwise you're going to burn yourself out."

"I've been working towards Columbia since before I even started high school," I said with a sigh.

"Well, how about before that, what made you that happiest when you were a kid?"

I thought about it for a minute, and then a specific memory flooded my mind. "Cooking," I said with heavy smile. "I used to cook and bake all the time with my mom when I was little…She'd say that a good meal is a work of art, and a delicious dessert was the only way to go to bed satisfied. It didn't matter if it was a treat or a three course meal, she always said the most important ingredient was love….I know it sounds cheesy, but she did make the most amazing dishes… But after she died, I guess my dad didn't want any reminders of her, so he always ordered in or we'd eat at the local diner…and we never had anything sweet that didn't come in plastic wrap."

"So…you never cooked again?" he asked incredulously.

I shook my head. "Not really. I mean, jarred spaghetti sauces, and boxed macaroni and cheeses. It's a miracle I'm still alive actually," I said with a giggle.

He smiled at my giggles, but then he got serious for a moment. "If cooking is what you're passionate about, then that's what you should be doing; even if you only ever cook for yourself."

"Cooking takes time, and I'm always so busy."

"There's always time to do what you love. Find the time, and if you can't, then make it. It might just save your life…_literally_," he said with a playful smile. "You may have escaped death from junk food thus far, but there's no way it can continue much longer."

"You're probably right," I agreed.

"So…you're going to start cooking again?" he asked with a smirk and a raised brow.

I nodded, but in the back of my mind I knew I probably wouldn't; there just weren't enough hours in the day.

"Ah, you're lying," he called me out. How he saw my fib in just a simple nod, I had no idea.

"No…I'll try, but I'm just so busy, so…"

"Make the time," he reiterated. "You know what…I'm going to force you into it," he said with a mischievous grin. "I'm going to come by your place next week for dinner."

I laughed once. "Okay, there is no way I can cook anything in a dorm room."

"Well then I'll buy you a hotplate."

"I don't have any pans," I told him quickly.

He chuckled. "I'll bring the hotplate, pans, dishes, and the ingredients, all you'll have to do is put it altogether and cook it."

"No, I haven't cooked in years, and I've never done it alone."

"I'll bring the recipe as well," he said quickly. "All you have to do is follow the directions. I'm sure any Columbia student is good at following directions, right?"

I smiled and then bit my lower lip to suppress it. "It will be horrible. I need to practice a few times before I actually make something edible."

"Then we'll order delivery and try again the next night…And then the next night…and the next until you finally make something good."

My stomach fluttered. "That's a lot of nights…Didn't I tell you how busy I am?"

He shrugged. "I won't stop you from studying. I promise," he said with a smile that I assume was meant to convey innocence. He failed at it completely. "Cooking doesn't take that long, and afterwards you'll hardly notice me hanging around…I'll even do the dishes."

"So…you're going to bring everything, and then quietly clean it all up while I study?"

"Exactly."

I giggled. "I think having you around while I study would be counterproductive."

"Why?" he pretended to be offended.

"I'm easily distracted…I have to concentrate," I said absently, suddenly noticing how perfect his lips actually were.

"Look!" he said unexpectedly, making me jump. He was staring straight up, so I followed his line of sight and was completely astonished by the view above us - the cloud cover had lifted, and the real stars were shining brightly like little beacons of hope. "Whoa, did you see that?" he asked excitedly when a shooting star zoomed across the sky.

"Yeah, it was beautiful," I murmured.

"It sure is," he said while suddenly looking back at me. I returned his stare and couldn't help but blush by his obvious double meaning. _The man was breathtaking, and there he was calling Plain Jane Me beautiful?_ Under normal circumstances I would have said it didn't make sense and been wary that he had an ulterior motive, but in that moment, with that strong of a connection between us, his words felt sincere and utterly honest.

I had no idea who initiated it, but the next thing I knew our lips were joined and the unstoppable intensity of our union was taking full control. There was no thought to do it, my mind didn't tell my hands to unbutton his pants, and somewhere deep in the back of my brain I knew wearing that skirt Alice had forced me in was a bad idea…or perhaps the best idea she ever had.

I didn't feel him shift to remove his pants, but I did feel the moment he pushed inside of me. It was definitely a surreal, out of body feeling, but at the same time it was one of the most real things I ever experienced. I never had time for boyfriends or romance, and I never regretted it, but I knew without a doubt that my life just got infinitely more complicated…in the best possible way.


	3. What Goes Up

Chapter 3 – What Goes Up

**Bree**

It was stupid. It was just a poster, a piece of paper that could never last forever anyway, so why was I still grieving the loss of it? Perhaps it was the big empty spot on the wall beside my bed…Or maybe I just felt lonely without seeing Edward Masen constantly there watching out for me. I just couldn't seem to get over it…I missed my Cullen poster like normal people would miss a close friend, but then one day I got something better.

"What is this?" I asked feeling a sense of hope that I couldn't ever remember feeling before.

"Cullen concert tickets," Riley said with a smile. "They're for next week. Now, I haven't told Victoria about them yet, so you need to stay on your best behavior so she doesn't have a reason to get pissed and make you stay home."

I nodded. "I will, I promise. Oh, thank you, Riley. You have no idea what this means to me."

"I do know; since Diego ripped your poster you've been really upset. Now, I'm sorry that happened to you, but it's time to see that spark in your eyes again. It's been pretty dull around here lately without it."

I nodded and smiled. "Yes sir."

"See? There it is. Keep it up," he said with a wink before leaving the room.

I couldn't believe it. I was going to see Cullen…_in person_. Sure the tickets were for way up in the nosebleed seats and I'd probably have a hard time even making out their faces, but still, in one week's time I'd be breathing the same air as Edward. Somehow, someway, something was going happen to make everything change for the better. I was just sure of it.

~X~

**Bella**

I didn't know how he knew, but he definitely knew…

"Are you okay?" he asked with tender concern.

The fact that I lost my virginity on a roof top to a guy who I just met was a big deal, but for the life of me, I couldn't force myself to think of it in that way. Our connection was monumental, and yet, it felt so natural and right that it didn't seem like it was something I should be ashamed of or feel weird about. I didn't just lose my virginity, that was only the physical aspect of it, what I really lost was the girl who was too busy worrying about the future that she forgot to live in the present.

"I'm perfect," I replied while snuggling even closer into him.

"Are you cold?" he asked sweetly. We were still mostly dressed, and his arms were wrapped securely around me, but I had to admit, the crisp New York air was giving me a little chill, so I nodded. "Do you want to go inside?"

"No, let's just stay like this for a while," I told him.

I could feel him smiling into my hair, and then he gently kissed my head. "Well, here," he said, moving slightly under me to grab a blanket from _god only knew where_. He covered us with it, and then everything truly did feel perfect.

With my head resting on his shoulder, we watched the sky for an undefinable amount of time, and counted shooting stars as they whizzed by. We didn't talk much after that, but he kept rubbing my arm and hand affectionately, just to let me know he really cared.

It was the most beautiful, incredible night of my life thus far, and I didn't want it to end so I fought to keep my eyes open, but before long I felt myself drifting off…

.

I had the most amazing dream, but as I slowly began to regain consciousness and I still felt his warm arms around me, I realized that the dream was real.

It was the closest feeling to heaven that I could possibly imagine, and I wanted to lie in his arms forever, but when I heard a distinctive snapping sound, I was forced to come back down to reality. _Did I really just sleep with a stranger? Whatever happened to Alice?_ The snapping happened again, except this time it was accompanied by deep boisterous laughter, so instinctually I opened my eyes and was stunned to see a big burly man standing there in the bright sun of day, taking Polaroid's of Edward and me. "And that's one for the guitar case of shame," the man said excitedly.

Edward popped his head up and took a moment to realize what was happening, and then he understandably got a little pissed at his apparent friend. "Damn it Emmett, what the hell are you doing?" he shouted as he protectively put his hand out to block my face.

"Ah, come on Eddie, these are perfect," the guy said while snapping another. "It's about time you got a few of these in the mix. Jasper is killing it with the one-nighters; we really need to catch up. I keep telling him, '_just wait until we blow up, the chicks are going to fall at our feet'_ – And look, there you are…with a chick," he laughed again while snapping another picture.

"Would you knock that shit off, this isn't like that!" Edward shouted at him. "And get the hell out of here before I kick your ass!"

"Man, we've been waiting for you to come down all morning. We all know you don't like to be bothered when you're out here on your perch, but Aro is here and he said we need to get going. He'll be pissed if I come down alone…And then he'll come up here after you, and that wouldn't be good for anyone."

"Fuck," Edward said under his breath. "Just give us a minute. Go stand outside the door or something."

"That door is louder than hell, he'll hear," the Emmett guy argued. "It's a miracle you didn't hear it when I opened it to come out here."

"I don't give a shit if he hears, get out!" Edward demanded.

"No, it's okay, I need to be leaving anyway," I said quickly. Thankfully I was dressed decently, so I just pulled away from Edward and slipped on my shoes before practically running for the door. The fact that I was doing the whole 'walk of shame' thing was humiliating enough, but his friend's amusement only added to it. I really had no idea who Aro was or what the picture thing was all about, but it seemed to be something their group of friends did…which was actually rather disturbing and made me feel stupid and cheap.

"Bella, wait!" Edward called after me as he tried to button his pants. His friend snickered at him so Edward flipped him off before chasing after me. "I want to see you again. What's your cell number so I can call you?" He felt his pockets and then looked around like he lost something before looking back at his friend. "Throw me your cell so I can save her number."

"I left it downstairs," the guy said.

"Fine," Edward said frustrated, and then he turned back to me. "Why don't you just give me your phone so I can put my number into your contacts? That way you can call me."

I was probably a complete idiot, but the moment his eyes locked to mine, all the humiliation I felt completely melted away. What happened between us was not cheap, and it definitely wasn't meaningless to either of us. We would see each other again, and I sincerely believed it was the start of something incredible.

I pulled out my phone, but because it was old and I couldn't afford a proper upgrade, the thing died on me sometime in the night. "Sorry," I said regretfully.

"Dude, we really need to go, they'll be coming up here any minute now," Emmett insisted.

"Okay, what dorm do you live in?" Edward asked me in a rush. "You know what, why don't we just plan to meet later today. What time are you free?"

"Uh…It's Sunday so I have study group at one, but after…"

"Do you know where Morningside Park is?" he interrupted me.

I nodded with a grin. "I've gone there to study a few times."

"Good…Can you meet me there at four?"

My heart soared, and my entire body was already eagerly anticipating the reunion. "Okay."

"Four," he reconfirmed. "By the pond."

"Four," I repeated with a smile.


	4. Must Come Down

Chapter 4 – Must Come Down

**Bree**

"Oh come on Vic, it's just a concert. What's the big deal?" I heard Riley say one night as I laid awake in bed listening. I wasn't sure how Victoria found out about the tickets, but she was definitely livid.

"How dare you spend our hard earned money on that ungrateful twit?" she seethed.

"I didn't spend any money. A guy at work won the tickets on some radio show, and he won't be able to make it so he gave them to me."

"Well fine, sounds like a date night. I'll get a sitter so you and I can go together," Victoria insisted.

"_No,_" I whispered desperately. I had to go to that concert, I just had to.

"Come on babe, it's the kid's favorite band. You don't care about Cullen, you don't even like rock music," Riley tried reasoning with her.

"Oh, I see what's happening here. You have a thing for her, don't you?"

"What? Don't be ridiculous, she's a little girl."

"Don't treat me like an idiot, I see how you play favoritism to her. She's a real looker, isn't she; with those big doe eyes… And we both know just how much you like pretty _young_ girls."

"Now that's enough, you're playing with fire, Victoria. You could get me into a lot of trouble with accusations like that. You wanna lose_ all_ the kids? Cuz that's exactly what's gonna happen."

"You don't have a thing for her? Then prove it."

"How the hell am I going to prove it?"

"Go tell her you're taking me to the concert instead, and then beat the shit out of her when she complains."

"I don't hit the kids, that's _your _deal," Riley said strongly.

"Oh, you'll do it, or your ass is going to end up back on the streets and you'll never see your son again," she threatened him. "Hell, maybe I will call child welfare on you anyway…What with you being on parole and all; I'm sure any accusation against a minor would get you thrown in jail for the rest of your life."

"You really are a bitch, you know that?" Riley said angrily.

"Yeah, but you love me anyway."

"Lucky for you…" he said strangely with his anger abruptly disappearing. His comment was followed by kissing and moaning sounds that echoed all throughout the house. I didn't understand their relationship, and I didn't care to either, but the worst part of the entire thing was realizing that all my dreams just disintegrated into oblivion. There would be no concert for me, and I was left, once again, feeling utterly alone.

_~X~_

**Bella**

The moment I walked through the door of my dorm room, Alice basically attacked me. "Oh, thank God! Where the hell have you been? Do you know how scared shitless I was when I couldn't find you? I called the police."

"You called the police?" I asked incredulously. "Alice, I'm fine…Oh my god, are the police out looking for me now?"

"No," she said bitterly. "They laughed when I told them my roommate went missing at a party…I suppose it's a common thing around here. They said to call back if you didn't show up in a few days. What the hell happened to you anyway? I know you didn't go home with anyone….Oh god, you went home with someone?"

"No…I never left the party…I fell asleep," I said semi-honestly.

"Where? I searched the entire building for you…Well, except the roof; they said it was off limits."

"I was on the roof," I said evenly.

"Are you serious? How the hell did you get up there?_ Why _were you up there?"

"I don't know, I got turned around in the party and ended up going up the stairs just to find some peace…The door was stuck, but I got it open and then closed it behind me."

"So…you were up on the roof all night…_alone?_"

"I was on the roof all night, yes."

"Alone?" she asked again.

I huffed. "No, not alone."

She stared at me in shocked disbelief, and then she started shrieking. "Oh my god, tell me everything. How tall was he, what line did he use, was he really good enough to spend an entire night with?"

"What line did he use?" I asked confused.

"You know, _pick up line_. It had to have been good for you to actually take the bait; I know you're not usually the type to have one night stands. In fact, I hate to admit, but I actually thought you were a virgin."

I immediately looked away embarrassed - and that was all it took…

"Oh my god, you _were_ a virgin!" she shouted, but then she covered her mouth with her hand and looked at me sympathetically. "Bella, you lost it to a guy you just met on the roof top of a party? Now I really feel like shit. I should have never taken you."

"No, don't feel bad, it wasn't like that. He was amazing, really, and sweet. I couldn't even imagine a better way for it to happen."

"Okay, but most guys like that…"

"I know, you sleep with them and then you never see them again. Alice, I'm not a moron, but I swear it wasn't like that with him. We're meeting up later today, and I think this could turn into something really special."

"Did he take your number, or did he give you his?"

"Uh…neither," I admitted. "But there's a good reason why…a few good reasons actually."

"Oh, Bella," she said gently, and then she sighed. "Well, what was his name? Most of the people at that party were from Columbia too, so maybe I know him."

"His name is Edward…and I'm fairly certain he doesn't go here."

"Edward?" she said strangely. "Edward what?"

I bit my lower lip.

"Okay, so you didn't get his last name, but…" she paused. "Oh shit!"

"What?" I asked confused.

"Edward Masen…He's the Cullen lead singer, I bet that's who you were with. I mean, I didn't see him at the party and if he was up on the roof with you that's probably why it was supposed to be off limits," she said in a rush.

I thought about it for a moment, and then shook my head in disbelief. "Alice, no. Just because his name is Edward…"

"Edward isn't exactly a common name," she interrupted me. "Oh, I have a picture of the band." She ran to her dresser and pulled out what looked like a homemade paper flyer. "Here," she said while handing it to me. The top of the paper read 'Cullen' in large print, then underneath there was a blurry black and white picture of four guys standing there with instruments. It wasn't clear, but it didn't really have to be; the man standing in front with a guitar hanging from his neck, was my Edward.

"It is him, isn't it?" Alice asked excitedly. I didn't mean to respond, but I felt my head nod slightly regardless. "I can't believe you fucked Edward Masen…and it was your cherry pop too!" she squealed. "Oh Bella, you little groupie, you."

Suddenly I felt like the room was spinning, so I had to sit on my bed before I fell over.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Alice asked concerned.

"He's really in a band?" I asked disheartened. I honestly didn't care what Edward did with his time; _so, he was a musician_- he was doing what he loved and that was great, but I had to think about what that really meant.

"Yeah…Cullen is great too; I really think they're going places. It's only a matter of time before they have huge world tours and we start seeing them on MTV….Oh," she said, suddenly realizing my issue. "He's not going to be sticking around New York, is he?"

I shook my head. "Probably not."

"Come to think of it, I heard they were leaving for New Orleans soon," she said sympathetically. "But hey, if you guys really had a connection, maybe the whole long distance thing could work for you."

"Long distance relationships never work," I said slowly. As much as I wanted to believe what we had was special, reality was much louder and common sense would tell anyone that a one night stand with a traveling musician could never lead to anything more.

"So what are you going to do?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure…I guess I'll go meet him at four, and see how it goes. Who knows, maybe he's planning to make New York his home base, or whatever. He did mention something about coming over next week so I could cook for him…maybe he'll come right back after New Orleans."

"Maybe… Anything is possible… Just promise me you won't let this affect you too much if it doesn't work out, I'd hate to see you to blow everything for a guy."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm fine…even if nothing else ever happens between us, I'll get over it. It's not going to be a big deal, I promise."

"Okay," she said skeptically, but otherwise let it go.

I showered, got dressed, and had a hell of a hard time concentrating in my study group. When three o'clock rolled around, I headed back to my dorm to change and get ready to meet Edward, but that was when I had an unexpected and extremely upset visitor.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" I asked shocked by his unannounced appearance.

"What do you think I'm doing here?" he said surprisingly angry. "At one am this morning I got a phone call from my buddy at the NYPD saying they received a missing person's report on you. So I hopped on the next flight and came out here. Now that I'm here and see you're safe, I have to ask; where the hell were you in the middle of the night?"

"Whoa, talk about your over reaction," Alice mumbled under her breath. I turned and glared at her, so she threw up her hands defensively and excused herself out of the room.

"I'm waiting for an answer, young lady," Charlie insisted.

"It was Saturday night…I was out…It's not a big deal."

"You're here for your education, not to party. And if it wasn't a big deal, why did someone call the police when they couldn't find you?"

"That was Alice…she overreacted. Dad this is crazy, you could have just called me."

"I did. Fourteen times."

"Oh…yeah, my phone died."

"I'm sorry, but when someone goes to the police about my daughter, I'm going to react like this. One day when you have a child, you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about. I mean, really Bella, what the hell are you thinking?"

"It was just one night, and obviously I'm fine…Look, can we talk about this in a little bit, I have somewhere I need to be," I said as I reached for my purse.

"Like hell you do. It's Sunday, you don't have any classes on Sundays. I flew all night just to be here, I'm taking my vacation time, and you're going to spend the rest of the day with me."

"Dad, I promised to meet someone."

"So call and tell them that you're not going to make it."

"I…I don't have his number," I admitted.

"_His?_ Damn it Bella, this is not going to happen. I will not let you start acting out and getting off track. Think about what's important here. What we've worked for. You're finally at Columbia, and you will not screw up now."

My stomach twisted in knots. I had never heard my father speak to me with that tone; in fact my father never had to be strict with me at all. I was always the good small town police chief's daughter who did everything right, and I had to admit, I absolutely hated the disappointment burning in his eyes. Charlie had been my biggest supporter, my best friend, he was the very last person I wanted to upset, and of course he was right; I worked too hard to get thrown off track by a musician who I'd probably never see again after that day.

I wanted to go meet Edward and tell him of my decision not to move forward with our potential relationship, it was the right thing to do, but deep down I knew I wouldn't be able to say the words to his face. I'd look in his eyes and I'd never be able to deliver a final goodbye. Really, I was just a coward; afraid of telling him goodbye, and even more afraid of letting myself fall harder for him.

"I'm sorry dad…it won't happen again," I said quietly, feeling so much more heartbroken than I ever thought I'd be.

He took a sigh of relief. "Good…You're going to do amazing things Bella, and fighting to get there is just part of it. Now, I know you want to have fun, but you have to keep reminding yourself of what you truly want in life."

I nodded, but I didn't vocalize my agreement because the moment he said to keep reminding myself of what I truly wanted, Edward's face popped into my mind.

"Hey, what do you say we go get an early dinner? I'm starved," Charlie suggested.

I nodded again, but tried to keep my mind as blank as possible. I was so confused and the pain in my chest almost made me feel sick, so the only way I could think to cope was just to not think at all.

We went to an eatery a few blocks away, and while my father ate, I stared at the clock on the wall as the hour hand struck four, and then slowly crept past it. It was almost five before we left the café, and when we got into a cab to go back to my dorm, Charlie suggested we go see a movie. I didn't give him an answer, but when the cab drove passed Columbia and stopped at a crosswalk, I couldn't help but gasp.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Charlie asked concerned.

I felt like I couldn't breathe as I watched Edward Masen standing in the crowd, looking out of place and completely lost. Suddenly he turned, and even from that distance, somehow his eyes locked to mine and his first reaction was to smile. He raised his hand to wave at me, I could have sworn he even mouthed my name, but then the cab proceeded to drive forward, and as much as I wanted to, as much as it hurt, I did nothing to stop it.

"Bella, honey, why are you crying?" Charlie asked unexpectedly.

I wiped my face and was shocked by the moisture there. "I'm not. It's just allergies," I lied. "I'll be fine in a minute." But the instant the words came out of my mouth I had a sinking feeling deep inside my gut, and I knew without a doubt that it would take a hella of a lot longer than a minute for me to be fine….


	5. Upcoming Events

Chapter 5 – Upcoming Events

**Bree**

In a way I was glad I knew ahead of time, because when Riley told me that I wouldn't be going to the concert, I was already prepared and I didn't react. I simply said, "That's okay," and then went back to the bedroom.

"You didn't hit her?" I overheard Victoria say from outside the room.

"She didn't complain…I'm not gonna hit her if she doesn't deserve it," Riley told her.

"You should have done it anyway. That girl needs the shit beaten out of her. She walks around here like she's some princess or something, she needs to be taken down a few notches."

"Oh come on Vic, she's never even had a family, why would she walk around like a princess. She aint never had anything privileged….The place we got her from said she's been in and out of foster and girl's homes her whole life."

"Are you saying she deserves more?"

There was a beat of silence, and then – "No…the only one who deserves more is _you_."

"I love you," Victoria said in her odd baby voice.

"I love you too," Riley replied, sounding legitimately sincere.

I came to the conclusion that they were both a little crazy, but then again, they seemed to be happy and they did have something that I never experienced - someone who loved them. Perhaps I really was the crazy one; I couldn't connect with anyone except a rock band that was completely out of my reach. I had always been alone, and if I didn't act, I'd always be alone. I couldn't let my lack of concert tickets stop me from finding where I belonged…I had to figure out a way to still meet Edward.

That night, when the house was dark and the only noises I heard were Riley's thunderous snoring and the chattering squeaks of kitchen mice, I tiptoed out of bed and searched through the blackness for Victoria's laptop. I knew how to use a computer from school so I was easily able to pull up the internet, but when I typed in _'Cullen upcoming events'_ I was absolutely shocked by what I found…

_~X~_

**Bella**

I tried to forget about him, I tried to move on, but a few weeks later I had to face just what a monumental mistake I actually made.

"What am I going to do?" I asked myself out loud.

"What are you going to do about what?" Alice asked nosily. I was in such a state of terror that I didn't even realize she was in the room at all.

"I'm late," I admitted, desperate to tell anyone and to hear some sort of reassurance that I could possibly be wrong. My period was only a few days late, but the fact that I was never late on anything, _especially my monthly_, made me beyond scared shitless.

"Wait, you mean you're _late_ late?" she asked stunned.

I reluctantly nodded.

"And you think you're…?"

I nodded again.

"So…not only did you lose your virginity to a musician on the roof top of a party, but you didn't use protection either? Bella, who knows what kind of nasties he could have!" she chided me.

I swallowed hard as I realized she could be right. I had been so consumed over our incredible connection and my stupidity for walking away from it, that I didn't even think about the fact we didn't use any protection. Alice was right, I was an idiot.

"I know, that was rude of me, I'm really sorry," she apologized sincerely. "But seriously, what were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," I said with a sigh.

"Well…all this worry could be over nothing. I'm going to go buy you a test, and you're going to sit there and call the doctor to get tested for STDs?"

Like I had always done before, I did as I was told and called my health care provider to set up an appointment. But as I waited for Alice to get back, I took a few minutes to silently reflect on the possibility of a very different future than I had planned. Out of all of my friends back home, I was the least likely to be caught in this situation, but for the life of me, I couldn't force myself to regret a moment of my time with Edward.

Alice seemed to be gone forever, and yet, when she did return it felt far too soon. I didn't wait until morning to take the test, there was no way I could, but when the bright pink plus sign quickly appeared in the little window, a part of me wished I had one more night of peaceful ignorance.

"So…what are you feeling? Do you have any idea what you're going to do?" Alice asked me after we both sat there in loud silence for an undefinable amount of time.

I closed my eyes and dropped my hand to my stomach. There was no way I was ready to be a mother; I was eighteen, a country away from my comfort zone, and I needed to be focused on school…and yet, for the first time since meeting Edward, I knew exactly what I wanted.

"I'm going to keep it," I said with tears flowing down my cheeks. It wasn't that I was against abortions, but there was something that just awakened inside of me, something strong and fierce and I knew without a doubt that this was the right path for me. Everything in my life had been leading to that moment, the moment my baby was conceived, and I couldn't deny that. To find my way onto that roof top, to have Edward there, to feel such a strong connection, to step out of myself and for one night and feel completely free - it was fate.

"Wow, really?" Alice asked surprised. "That's…wow…So, what does that mean exactly? Are you going to stay in school, or…"

"It'll probably take me a while to figure out all the logistics….but none of it really matters. I'm sure it sounds crazy, but…I just know it's going to work itself out."

Alice began looking around the room strangely but before I could ask her what she was doing, she explained. "We can put the cradle here if we move the desk over…"

I smiled at her. "Thanks Alice, but I doubt the school would let me stay here with an infant…and I wouldn't even if I could, it just wouldn't be fair to you."

"I don't mind, I love kids."

"Thanks, but I'm going to need to figure something else out eventually."

"Are you going to tell your dad?" she asked.

I laughed once. "It's not like I'll be able to hide it. He visits every couple months."

"How's he going to react?"

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. I was a spineless coward the last time he was here, and I'm done with that. I have to be strong for myself, and I have to be strong for my baby….And you have to help me find Edward."

She smiled. "How do you think _he'll _react?"

"I don't know," I said pensively. "I wish I knew him enough to guess…But even if he doesn't want anything to do with it, I owe it to him to at least let him know."

"You definitely do…So let's figure out where he is." She went over to the desk and got out her laptop, and then typed in _'Cullen upcoming events'_. "Oh," she said strangely.

"What?" I asked anxiously.

"Well…usually there's a list of upcoming events for the band on this site…but after New Orleans there's nothing."

"Nothing?" I asked surprised. "Maybe they just haven't updated the site."

"Hmmm," she said while exiting out and running another search. "Nope, there's nothing…"

"So…does that mean we have no idea where he is?"

"Well, let me just Google his name." She typed in 'Edward Masen' and a small Cullen bio popped up with his picture, but there was no clue where he could be currently or where he was heading next. "Maybe they went over to Europe; a lot of up and coming bands tour there and open for bigger acts to get more exposure," she suggested.

"But wouldn't that have been written about on these sites?" I asked.

"Yeah…This is really weird, it's almost like they just…stopped playing."

"What, like the band broke up?"

She shrugged. "I think we'd be able to find some information about that online somewhere as well. I really don't know how to help you with this. I think the best we can do is check back in a couple weeks and hope there's more information."

I nodded, and then looked around for my coat and bag.

"Where are you going?" Alice asked curiously.

"I've got class."

"You're going?" she asked surprised.

"Yeah…There's no reason not to."

"What about telling your dad?"

"There's no point in freaking him out yet. I'm just going to continue with everything like nothing's changed for as long as possible…And when the time comes, I'll just have to figure out my next step then."

She smiled supportively. "I'll do whatever I can to help you… If anyone can figure out this Cullen mystery, it's me."

"Thanks Alice…I really don't know how I'd ever get through any of this without you."

"We haven't gotten you through anything yet…but we will."


	6. Love Somebody

A/N: This story is mainly about Bella and Bree, but it's important to get a feeling of who Edward is as well, so this entire chapter is dedicated to him and there may be some more in the future. Since he's a musician I've decided to include a song I thought was fitting, something close to what he would have written in the situation.

* * *

Chapter 6 – _Love Somebody_ – by Maroon 5

"_If I fall for you, I'll never recover.  
If I fall for you, I'll never be the same."_

**Edward**

"I just had the best night of my life!" I said enthusiastically when I met the band at our headquarters for the day.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Jasper said dismissively. "You said that last night."

"No, but this time it really was the best night of my life," I assured him.

"Man, I can attest to that," Emmett backed me up. "I saw the chick he banged, she was fuckhot!"

"So…you going to see her again?" Jasper asked unimpressed.

"I don't know, we may meet up the next time we're in town, but probably not," I said casually. "I mean, she was great and all, but chicks like that are a dime a dozen."

"Hell yes they are!" Emmett cheered.

Jasper just rolled his eyes.

"You disagree?" I challenged him.

"Yes, I disagree," Jasper spat. "Meaningless sex is just that, meaningless. There is nothing in this world like making love to the woman you plan on spending the rest of your life with."

"So, let me get this straight, we are about to set off on the ride of our lives, and you're promising to love your girlfriend forever?" I asked incredulously.

"Just because we're traveling, doesn't mean I can't be faithful," Jasper replied like the pansy he was.

"Jazz, there are going to be girls throwing themselves at us," Emmett tried reasoning. "_Throwing themselves at us_," he repeated for effect.

"I don't know what to tell you; I love Maria, and other than our music, she's all that matters to me," Jasper insisted.

"Boo!" Em and I said at the same time, before both busting out laughing.

Jasper the sourpuss still didn't see any humor in the situation. "Someday you'll fall in love, and then you'll understand where I'm coming from."

"Nah, falling in love is too expensive," Emmett said with a laugh. "When you tell a chick you love them they expect diamonds and flowers."

"Diamonds before the flowers?" I chuckled.

"Have you ever priced out a bouquet of roses? Damn that shit is expensive, and if you're in a relationship with a chick that knows you have money they want them all the time."

"Maria is more than happy with the daisies I pick on my way to her place," Jasper said tenderly. It was seriously pathetic.

"That's because you haven't made a bunch of money yet," Emmett teased him. "Just watch and see."

"Okay, everyone listen up," Carlisle said as he walked into the room with Aro and Marcus in tow. "There's going to be some changes before we can record our album."

"What kind of changes now?" Emmett whined.

"I'll handle this Carlisle," Aro said while stepping forward. "I understand that you are all used to doing things a certain way; Carlisle is your leader and you all follow him blindly, but that is about to change. Since you signed onto Volterra Records, now I am your leader and you will do as I say. Got it?"

Jasper, Emmett and I looked at Carlisle questionably, but he just nodded his head.

"Now, first order of business is a shake up," Aro continued. "Emmett, you will stay at drums, Jasper will be on the keys and synthesizer, Carlisle will play base, and Edward is on guitar and is the new lead singer."

All of our mouths dropped…well except Carlisle, who was obviously already informed of the change.

"Uh…I don't sing," I protested.

"You do back up, don't you?" Aro contradicted.

"Yeah, but I can't sing lead…Why are we changing anyway? Carlisle is the best singer around."

"Tell me something," Aro said casually. "Do you want to be a successful band, or just another bunch of nobodies who spend their entire lives in a garage wishing they had what it takes to make it big?"

"We're from Chicago, so we never had a garage," Emmett said like a smartass.

"Of course we want to make it," Carlisle cut in. "And we're willing to do whatever it takes to succeed."

"How is having a horrible singer in the lead going to make us succeed?" I asked heatedly.

"You can learn," Carlisle assured me.

"But why?" I asked irritated.

"Because I said so," Aro answered for him. "There's more to a successful band than the music. There are thousands of great sounding bands out there that will never amount to anything, you need more. A look; an X factor; something that will attract the tween pop lovers of the world as well as the hardcore rockers, and you, my friend, have exactly that."

"Why me?" I asked clueless.

"You have the exact combination that every band needs for its lead singer; good looks but with an edge. Carlisle has no edge whatsoever, he's too soft. Emmett is all edge, Jasper sends off weird vibes, but you are exactly right. If you want to go places, if you want to continue this business partnership, then you'll do as I say and figure out how to be a lead singer."

I didn't like it one bit, but to be honest, we were like most bands out there – desperate, and willing to do whatever it took to make it big.

So I spent the next week or so locked in a recording studio with Carlisle as he taught me everything he knew about singing. To both of our surprise, I caught on fairly easily and was able to hit most of the notes he did, but there was always something that sounded a little off.

"You have no emotions," Carlisle told me after another long day recording. "There's just nothing behind your words, and maybe it's because you're not singing your own lyrics. I really think you need to write a few songs of your own."

"Alright, shouldn't be too hard," I told him, but after two days of staring at the wall with a pen and a blank notepad in hand, I realized just how difficult it actually was. Carlisle tried to help me look into myself for some kind of emotional connection to anything, but the deeper we dug, the more I realized just how dead inside I actually was. Maybe I forgot how to feel when my dad died, or maybe I never had any emotions to begin with.

It was beyond frustrating. The band was all that mattered to me; we had worked for years to get where we were, and there I was, about to blow it all because my life was empty. I soon found myself obsessed with trying to write something, anything worth singing about, so I'd seclude myself in empty rooms to try to think clearly, and when I still came up empty, I moved my solitude outdoors. Thankfully, it was just the change I needed to make. Feeling the air on my face, and hearing the noises around the city, suddenly something clicked and I could see the beauty in all of it. There wasn't music inside of me, but it surrounded me and all I had to do was reach out and take it.

After that, the songs flowed like a river heading to the ocean. Overhearing stranger's conversations, seeing a war vet panhandling for money, hearing a teenager screaming at her mother – being that close, it was like I was experiencing their emotions with them, and it allowed the lyrics to practically write themselves. When it came time to sing the songs, all I had to do was mentally put myself back into the moments they were written, and I was able to find the proper emotions that accompanied them.

And just like that, our band was back on the fast track to success. We were doing nightclubs and the county fair circuits, and we even got our own web site. There were talks about eventually heading to Europe, but the biggest gigs thus far were in New York City. As much as I loved Chicago, New York had a certain magic to it that I never felt anywhere else. It was like we were really onto something there, like fate was going to step in and show us the path to something truly remarkable.

"We're throwing a party!" Emmett said after one of our post gig meetings. "We can't leave New York without throwing a party."

"Hell no we can't!" Jasper said enthusiastically. "Have you seen the college chicks around here?"

I laughed. "Maria who, right?"

"Man, finding out that bitch was cheating on me was the best thing that ever happened," Jasper said with a mix of excitement and bitterness.

"Here, here," Emmett agreed with him.

Since discovering the music around me, I had been having a difficult time letting go and taking breaks away from writing, but after a long talk with Carlisle I realized just how important finding a balance of work and play actually was."_The music will consume you if you let it,"_ he had told me. So I had been trying to force myself to have some fun with the guys as well, but at times it was a struggle...

The music at the party was pumping, the drinks were flowing, and the chicks were sexy as hell, but for whatever reason, that evening I just wasn't feeling it. To be honest, there had been a song stuck in my head for the past few weeks, something I could never quite get out, and strangely enough, as I stood in the middle of that loud party, I finally felt like it was ready to break free.

"I'm going up, don't let anyone bother me," I told Emmett. Any time we stayed in a city longer than a week, Aro usually rented us an old run down house or condo instead of a hotel; he said it was more secure, but we knew the truth – he booked us whatever accommodation that was cheapest. But older places did often have their benefits; for the time we had been in New York, our temporary home had a great private roof which I had taken full advantage of for my writing. I spent most of my down time up there on the ratty old couch, just listening to the songs of the city below. It was peaceful, a relief from the stresses of my everyday hectic life.

"No, don't go up to your perch. Stay, enjoy the party!" Emmett whined.

"I have to write something, I'll be back down in a bit…Can you please just keep people away?"

"Yeah, whatever," Emmett replied disappointed.

The moment I stepped out onto the roof, I was shocked that my mind suddenly drew a blank. I had been so close, it seemed so loud in my head a moment ago, but it just disappeared. I waited for it to return for over an hour and I started to think it was hopeless, but then it happened - there was a loud screeching of the roof door as a woman came out, and everything in my world suddenly flipped.

If it had been anyone else I would have yelled at them to get off my roof, but there was something about the woman that drew me in. It was loud, and strong, and I knew without a doubt that the song in my head had been leading me to her all along.

Seemingly out of nowhere, I began falling. Every word she spoke, every time she bit her lower lip and smiled that shy secretive smile, I fell deeper, and for the first time that I could remember, I felt something genuine. I wasn't just feeding off other's emotions; this girl, this amazing woman was forcing me to create my own. I didn't understand how it was even possible - how a girl I just met could have such a tight irrevocable hold on me, but I didn't have a doubt that I was done for. The person I was the day before didn't matter, from the moment I met Bella, my life was completely altered to be intertwined with hers. It absolutely scared the shit out of me, but fighting it was impossible, and I wouldn't even if I could. For the first time I didn't feel dead, for the first time I didn't feel alone….


	7. Love Somebody pt2

A/N: Okay so I felt Edward's POV needed a little more attention. This is really the second half of chapter 6 and we'll get back to Bella and Bree next time.

* * *

Chapter 7 – Love Somebody (pt2) – by Maroon 5

"_You're such a hard act for me to follow.  
Love me today, don't leave me tomorrow"_

**Edward**

"And Edward has officially entered the Guitar Case of Shame!" Emmett announced when the band reconvened.

"Daum, was that your chick that just ran outta here a minute ago?" Jasper asked impressed. "A real librarian type, huh?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I asked confused and unsure if I should be offended or not.

"You know; cute, quiet, smart, but wild and sexy as hell in the bedroom."

"Why don't you just keep your mouth shut about her, okay," I warned him as gently as I was capable of, but if he didn't knock that shit off I wouldn't hesitate to pop him one.

"Whoa, what's wrong, buddy?" Carlisle asked, surprised by my subtle threat.

"Nothing, I'm just tired about the shit talking that constantly goes on around here," I told him.

"Alright, enough!" Aro yelled at us. "I have all the arrangements made for New Orleans. We leave this afternoon, so go pack your belongings."

"This afternoon?" I questioned. "You said we weren't leaving until Wednesday or so?"

"Well, now we're leaving this afternoon. I got a great deal on plane tickets. Is there a problem?" Aro asked me challengingly.

"After New Orleans we're coming back to New York for another gig, right?" I asked, refusing to answer his question.

"I haven't confirmed that venue yet, but if New Orleans goes well, I have an investor lined up for a European tour."

"Holy shit!" Emmett said excitedly while giving Jasper a high five. "We're hitting the big times, now."

"It's only a matter of time," Jasper added.

"Edward, are you okay?" Carlisle asked me; he must have noticed the very large issue I was having.

"Yeah, fine," I said through gritted teeth before turning and heading to my room to pack my stuff. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I knew leaving without seeing Bella again wasn't going to happen; I didn't tell Aro, but if the band was flying out afternoon, then I'd just have to find my own way to New Orleans after I talked to her. I loved my band, but for the first time since we got together, something else became vastly more important and I would do whatever it took to make it work with her.

"You sure about this?" Carlisle asked concerned after I begged him to cover for me.

"I know this seems…crazy –"

"More like insane," Carlisle interrupted me.

"I know, but I have to do this. I never felt anything like this before, and I can't just stand her up. I need to talk to her…I don't know, get her to wait for me."

"So you want a girl you just met to commit to a long distance relationship with you?" he asked incredulously.

I paused as I thought about it, and then nodded. "Yes. Look, you don't understand, and that's fine because I don't really understand it either, but…this thing I'm feeling…I know she was feeling it too, so…I really don't think she's going to be that shocked by my request. Carlisle, I would marry this girl today if she'd agree to it."

He stared at me blankly for a minute, and then he laughed.

"I'm not kidding," I said irritated.

"No, I can see that you're not…I actually think this is an amazing turn of events."

"Really?" I asked confused.

"Yes. Finally, you have something real to write about. I really truly hope it works out for you," he said sincerely.

"Thanks man…I appreciate it. So you'll cover?"

"Yeah, and here…" He reached in his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. "Just get your ass to New Orleans as soon as you can…Hell, bring the girl with you if you want."

"Really?" I asked surprised. "But she's a student, so I doubt she could leave."

"Who knows…maybe she'll surprise you."

"I'll pay you back," I promised as I rushed out of the room. It was nowhere near four, but I had to hurry out of the building if I wanted to escape Aro's wrath when he found out.

I walked around the city for a while, just soaking in all the magic it had to offer, and it wasn't long before I found my way to the park I was meeting Bella in. It was still early so I spent the next two hours daydreaming about the kind of life we were going to have. It was absolutely insane of me, and if the me from the day before could see the me now, I would have laughed and then kicked myself, but I didn't care either. In fact, I felt myself rapidly not caring about anything except for her. Was it an obsession, or something so much more? Perhaps fate had finally gotten a hold of me and was showing me exactly where I needed to be…._I should have known it would never be that easy._

"What the hell are you doing?" Jasper said as he unexpectedly showed up in the park.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him. I looked down at my watch and saw that it was 3:50, and the last thing I wanted was for Bella to show up with Jasper there; the dick would probably say something to make her uncomfortable.

"What am I doing here, what are _you _doing here? Carlisle said you were meeting a girl…What the fuck Edward?"

Since Jasper and I grew up together he thought he could say whatever the hell he wanted to me, but I wasn't going to let anyone or anything get in the way.

"If Carlisle already told you what I was doing, then why are you here asking me?"

"Look, Emmett told us what he saw on the roof between you and the girl, and we all saw her running out of the place this morning, so I'll ask again, what the hell are you doing here? A chick like that isn't going to leave all her snooty friends to follow us around. Think about it."

"I have been thinking about it, I've thought of nothing else since she left this morning."

"Come on Edward, you were the one who tried convincing me to leave Maria. This is ridiculous. You don't even know this girl…but you know what, I do."

"You know her?" I asked skeptically.

"No, not her personally, but I've known plenty spoiled little rich girls just like her. I bet her dad is some lawyer or big business owner who bought his little princess's way into college. Girls like that…they don't end up with trailer trash like us. They may take a dip in the gutter, but they certainly don't stay there. Don't let this chick fuck you up."

I took a deep breath. "She's not like that…that's not what's going to happen…you don't understand."

"Then explain it to me."

"I…Fuck, I can't explain it…I feel things with her…I don't know how, but…she saw me….She saw right through me, and we have a connection that I never knew existed."

"Gah, you sound like you've been reading too many teen novels."

"I love her, Jasper," I said, shocking both of us.

"You don't even know her," he said quietly.

"I know enough…Just, go to New Orleans. I'll be there tomorrow."

He shook his head. "Why don't I believe you?"

"I _will_ be there," I insisted.

"Well, then I'm going to wait with you and make sure you get on that damn plane."

"Fine, whatever, just go wait over there. I don't want you scaring her off."

"Okay, but hate to break it to you, it's already 4:10 and I don't see her anywhere."

I looked at my watch. "She'll be here. She's probably just running a little late."

4:30 came and went, and the longer I sat there alone, the tighter my stomach tied itself into excruciating knots.

"Sorry, but like I told you, princesses don't end up with guys like us," Jasper said while clapping me on the back. "Come on, let's get to the airport."

I thought about it for a long minute, but as I went over our time together in my head, I knew she had felt the same thing I did so there had to be another reason for her no show. "No," I told Jasper before taking off running towards Columbia University. I didn't know if Jasper was following me or not, but I didn't care either. I had to find Bella, there was no way I'd be able to move on if I didn't.

When I arrived at the college, I just stood there and looked around at the throngs of people walking by. I was never afraid of a crowd before in my life, but those people terrified me. They were so different than me, so polished and perfect that it made me start questioning everything. What if Jasper was right, what if Bella was too good for me?

Like a beacon of light, I turned towards the street and saw Bella sitting in a cab staring back at me. I had no idea what I expected to happen, but when that cab continued to pass and eventually drove out of sight, something died inside of me. Everything I thought I felt, every note of music I once heard, it all disappeared like a raindrop in the ocean. How could I have ever been that stupid? Of course Bella was too good for me. She was a college student studying to become a doctor, I was nothing more than a struggling musician who was too stupid to know when to give up.

"Hey, come on Ed, let's go," Jasper said out of nowhere. I guess he had followed me after all.

"What's the point?" I asked emotionlessly.

"Don't you dare start that shit!" he yelled at me. "We are so fucking close, and you're not going to turn into a little bitch on us now because of a fucking one night stand."

Of course he was right. What the hell was wrong with me anyway? I was better than the sniveling loser I was acting like. So the chick I screwed didn't want to see me again, it was better that way anyway. There was no way in hell I was going to let anyone bring me down, especially not a woman I just met.

"Okay, let's go," I told him as unaffected as possible. I kept giving myself a mental pep talk – calling her every name in the book for ditching me; a bitch like that was the last thing I needed. But the farther away from her I got, the more I felt like I was leaving myself behind. _Who was I anymore anyway? _

It was pathetic and ridiculous, not even the end of a long term relationship was worthy of that level of anguish. So I went to New Orleans and tried to forget about her, but the moment I stepped onto the stage to preform, I knew the change in me was irrevocable. For my band's sake, I forced myself to play the set we scheduled, but it was all lackluster at best, and the livid off expression on Aro's face afterwards said it all.

"What the hell was that garbage!" he shouted at me back stage.

"Sorry, I did my best," I said honestly; I really wasn't capable of anything better anymore, and I was beyond pissed. I hated Bella, I hated myself, hell, I hated the fucking world. Nothing seemed to matter anymore, not even my music.

"Well, I suppose everyone has a bad day," Aro said, surprisingly supportive. "You just need to get back into the studio and practice more. We'll try this again in a few weeks."

But no amount of time or practice could help me. A few weeks later I still felt hollow, and I knew it wasn't going to change. "I can't do this anymore," I finally told my band. "I'm sorry, I just don't have what it takes." And with that I walked away from them, and couldn't even find the will to look back.

There would be no huge success for Cullen…at least not with my involvement. I needed to find something else…something different…something that didn't require feeling anything. I hated that I let my friends down, but at the end of the day, I was only bringing them down further the longer I stayed….


	8. Determined

Chapter 8 – Determined

**Bree**

I couldn't let my disheartening find on the internet detour me. It didn't matter where Cullen would or would not be playing next; somehow, someway, I just had to meet Edward Masen, and the necessity of it felt stronger than ever. But it became obvious that I'd never get to him by allowing Victoria to keep me locked away in her house. I needed to escape, and I needed to do it right away.

I didn't even give myself a moment to reconsider, I just quietly rushed back to the bedroom, slipped on some pants and a long sleeved shirt, grabbed my jacket and something small to eat, and then I left the house for what would hopefully be the last time.

I had to keep believing that my life would change for the better by finding Cullen, but the further I walked away from the dim porch light into the darkness of night, the more I realized just how scared I actually was. What if nothing was better at all? What if I never found what I was looking for? But the more I thought about it, the more I decided that I'd rather live alone on the streets than stay with Victoria. One way or another I'd find my true place in the world, and I didn't have a doubt that I'd never regret leaving.

_~X~_

**Bella**

Trying to keep up with my classes and studies while dealing with morning sickness was beyond difficult; sometimes I just didn't want to get out of bed at all.

"Why don't you just sleep for a while?" Alice suggested. "You were throwing up most of the night; you've got to be wiped out."

"I can't miss class again," I told her groggily as I forced myself to get up.

"But if you don't take care of yourself it's just going to get worse," she pointed out.

"Alice, I have to do this. If I can't even handle things now, what am I going to do when the baby's here?"

"What if I go to your classes and take notes for you?" she offered.

I smiled graciously. "Thanks, but I need to figure this all out for myself."

While the months rolled on, however, my tiredness continued to increase as my belly grew, and I realized that it was only going to get worse from there. My hormones were crazy all the time and I had a bad case of foggy brain; trying to retain any new information at all gave me the most intense migraines I ever experienced, which basically made studying absolutely torturous.

In addition to the physical difficulties I was facing, I still hadn't told my dad about my pregnancy and sooner or later he'd catch on to all my false reasons for stalling his visit, so I was constantly stressed about that. And as odd as it sounded, I missed Edward like crazy. I didn't even know him, and yet, feeling his baby growing inside me had me constantly thinking back to those extraordinary few hours we spent together, and I honestly felt like I lost my best friend. There was a huge gaping hole in my chest from his absence, so whenever I was supposed to be doing research for my school assignments online, I found myself searching for him instead. I kept Googling 'Cullen' and 'Edward Masen', but there was never any new information, and my hopes of being reunited with him were slowly dwindling.

"I have an idea," Alice said with forced enthusiasm one afternoon. I had been silently crying into my anatomy book as I tried to get through my work for the past two hours, so Alice must have decided enough was enough. "Why don't we take a break from all the pre-med mumbo jumbo, and talk about the little human body growing inside of you? Have you thought about any names?"

I looked up at her and wiped my tears with the sleeve of my sweatshirt, and then I shrugged. "I'm not sure yet, but I have a few ideas."

Alice grabbed my hands and pulled me over to her bed so we could talk more comfortably. "So, let's hear them."

"Okay," I said, immediately feeling better just from the subject matter. Being pregnant had made my life a billion times more difficult, but I had already fallen in love with my baby to the point where it had become the most important aspect of my life, so talking about him always cheered me up no matter how stressed or upset I was. "Well, the ultrasound tech said it was too early to tell for sure, but she thinks it's a boy, so…I was thinking _Jacob_."

Alice thought about it for a minute, and then she scrunched her face.

"You don't like it?" I asked slightly bashful.

"No, I think it's fine…but it's just so common. You should name him something unique or at least meaningful."

I bit my lower lip.

"What?" she questioned, knowing I was holding back something.

"This may sound really stupid considering how rocky our relationship has been lately, but growing up, I always wanted to name my kid after my dad."

"Really?" she asked surprised.

"Yeah…He can be completely overbearing and pigheaded, but…he raised me, all by himself…. He was my sole support, my only real family, and I just always loved the idea of having a little boy named Charlie."

"Well, even when times are tough, that doesn't mean you should forget about all the good years you had with him. Besides, I bet eventually after he gets over the initial shock of everything, he'll be your biggest supporter again, and I'm sure he'd be honored for his grandson to carry his name."

"You don't think it's stupid?" I asked her.

"No, I don't think it's stupid at all….So, Charlie if it's a boy, what about if it's a girl?"

I shrugged again. "Since the ultrasound said boy, it's hard to imagine it being a girl."

"Yeah, but it was still pretty early, so it could've definitely been wrong."

"I know…I have another ultrasound in a few weeks, so I'll just have to think about the possible girl names then if it becomes necessary."

But despite not knowing for sure what the sex of my baby was, Alice and I both started calling it Charlie. If I was hungry, Alice would say "Time to go feed Charlie." And whenever I was alone, I'd find myself talking to Charlie as if he was already out in the world. Often times I'd apologize to him for being such a mess and not meeting his dad like I should have. I absolutely hated myself for that, and during those times of self-loathing I'd drop everything I was doing and get right back onto the internet to do another long search for Edward. Perhaps I was going a little crazy.

A few weeks later, the baby was big enough to have a more accurate sex determining ultrasound, and I was shocked to find out how wrong the first was. "Must have just been a shadow," the tech said while talking about the false boy ID.

I was having a girl, and yet, I couldn't wrap my head around finding a more suitable name.

"What about Carlie…It's kind of a girly version of Charlie," Alice suggested. The moment the name came out of her mouth a warm fuzzy feeling overcame me and I instantly knew it was right. There was nothing to consider, my daughter was just Carlie, and I was sure nothing would change my mind.

With her name officially picked, everything became that much more real. I couldn't just continue to put off plans for her arrival, I needed to take a few days to really figure out how I was going to care for her, and I needed to finally tell my dad…


	9. Lost

Chapter 9 – Lost

**Bree**

I walked around aimlessly for a long time; resting on park benches and in obscure bushes whenever I was tired, and then I'd walk some more. I'd drink from water fountains, and eat stranger's leftovers whenever they didn't properly dispose of their trash. The sun would rise and fall, and the sky would darken and then lighten again. It was cold and then it would get hot, and it even rained occasionally, but the clouds never stayed for long. I wasn't exactly sure how many days passed or how long I walked for, but just when I started losing my resolve to stay gone, an angel stepped in and gave me some much needed inspirational help.

"You okay, sweetie?" the older woman asked me. I had been sleeping on a little park bench when she gently tapped my shoulder to awaken me.

I nodded and then sat up. "Yeah, sorry. I must have accidentally drifted off. Thank you for waking me," I said politely.

"Where are your parents?" she asked me concerned.

"Uh…working. I just live over there," I told her while pointing at a random house.

"Well, why don't I walk you home?" she offered. "This isn't the kind of park a little girl like you should be alone in."

"I'll be fine, ma'am. I come here by myself all the time," I lied.

She looked at me skeptically. "Are you sure, honey?"

I shot her my best attempt at smiling. "Yeah."

She still didn't look like she believed me, so she reached in her purse and pulled out some rolled up money. "Here," she said while handing it to me. I opened my mouth to protest, but she put up her hand to stop me. "Please just take it. I would really feel better if I knew you had a way to buy yourself a decent meal. I only wish it could be more."

The woman obviously didn't have very much money at all, but the fact that she gave some to me suddenly brought tears to my eyes. I was beginning to think that there was no such thing as human decency, but I was so grateful she proved otherwise.

"Thank you, ma'am. You are a really good person."

She shook her head. "No, if I was a good person I would be calling child welfare and getting you some proper help," she said somberly.

"Please don't," I begged her. "I can't go back."

She placed her hand on my shoulder gently. "Do you have a plan?"

I nodded reluctantly. I didn't want to lie to her, but I didn't want her to call child welfare even more.

She sighed. "The bus station is two blocks that way. Now, there's enough money here to buy you a ticket and something to eat. Go find something better for yourself somewhere, and I'll pray for you," she said with a warm smile.

I thanked her again, but she still didn't seem to want my gratitude. She simply nodded and then turned and walked away.

I'd never know why she really helped me that day, but I would have been lost without her and I was beyond grateful. I did as she instructed and bought something to eat, and then a bus ticket to the farthest destination that I could afford.

I had never been to New York City, in fact, I had never been to any big city at all, but somehow I knew I was going in the right direction. Cullen wasn't set to be anywhere close to there, but something told me that was just were I needed to go to find him…

_~X~_

**Bella**

My dad usually visited me every four months or so; luckily I had managed to talk him out of coming for an additional several weeks, but he refused to be detoured anymore.

"So, how are you going to break it to him?" Alice asked curiously.

I rubbed my rounded abdomen. "I mean, it's kind of obvious, isn't it?"

"So you're just going to answer the door and say '_surprise_'?"

"I should tell him over the phone, shouldn't I?" I said nervously.

"Well it's a little late for that now," she chided me. "I mean, he's already on his way here, isn't he?"

I bit my lower lip, and then I grabbed my pillow and used it to smother my face while collapsing on my bed. "Why am I such a coward when it comes to him," I mumbled.

"Because he's the only person who's always been there for you and you don't want to disappoint him," Alice answered supportively.

"Well, there's no avoiding his disappointment anymore," I said before forcing myself to sit back up. "Now my main concern is Carlie…I just don't want him to still be angry when she's born…I want him to love her as much as I do."

"And he will, but you have to keep reminding yourself that it's going to take time."

I nodded and then thanked her for the umpteenth time. I couldn't thank her enough for the moral support she continued to give me on a daily basis; I wasn't sure if I could have handled it without her.

…

My palms were sweaty, my heart was racing, and I felt extremely dizzy as I waited for my father's arrival. Alice offered to stay with me while I broke the news, but I asked her to leave; I guess I'd just rather my father yell at me in private.

When he finally did come however, I was beyond shocked and frankly a little afraid when he didn't yell at all. He stayed calm as I explained my situation; in fact, he was too calm.

"Dad, say something," I said anxiously as he sat there in deafening silence.

Finally he showed a sign of life by exhaling loudly – _had he been holding his breath all that time?_

"I really don't know what to say," he said quietly. "I never thought we'd be in this position. I'm…shocked. I just…I'm confused, angry, disappointed…. Quite frankly, I'm heartbroken, Bella. I just can't believe you did this, it's utterly surreal."

"Do you think it's not surreal for me too?" I asked with a tear escaping down my cheek. I think I would have preferred his fury over his somber words of hurt and resentment. "This is not the life I thought I'd have…but I can't regret it either."

"Bella, you are here on scholarship; you do realize that, don't you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I realize that."

"You have to maintain your units and at least a 3.0 GPA."

"I know."

"You know? Well if you know, then tell me how you're going to accomplish that while raising a baby? Are you planning on dropping out? Everything we worked on, every single day of steadfast focus, the sacrifices we've both made - it was what? All for nothing?"

"No, it wasn't for nothing. I want to stay in school, I just haven't figured it all out yet," I told him.

"Well, let me lay it all out for you. Your scholarship includes room and board here at the dorms…they won't let you stay here with an infant. I cannot afford an apartment for you here in the city…I couldn't even afford an apartment for you back home, and I certainly can't afford to support a baby and all its needs, so what does that mean? You're going to need to get a job, and how are you going to be able to work fulltime while maintaining your studies and taking care of a baby?"

"I'll figure it out," I said assuredly. "Maybe her father will come back…"

"He will _never _come back!" he said sharply. "Boys like that will never stop being boys long enough to be men. You are alone in this, and it's simply not possible to do all of it. Something has to give."

I shook my head slowly. "I'm not going to give up my baby."

"So you're going to give up your scholarship?" he asked incredulously. "This is your only chance, Bella, it's an amazing opportunity that millions of people wish they had, and you're just going to blow it all on one bad decision?"

"It wasn't a bad decision. My baby is not a mistake," I said with more tears, but this time they were hot with anger. I wasn't going to let anyone talk about my baby like that, not even my father.

"It most certainly is a mistake," he snapped at me. "Now is not the time for you to have a child. You're not ready emotionally or financially. You're going to end up working as a waitress for the rest of your life while barely making ends-meet. You keep that baby, and you'll never live up to your full potential."

"Dad, I will figure it all out, I just need a little more time…"

"You're what, six months along? You're running out of time to figure it all out, Bella. Why didn't you tell me right away? We could have fixed this before it ever became a real issue."

"There's nothing you could have said to convince me to get an abortion," I said heatedly. "But I knew you'd try, and that's exactly why I didn't tell you."

He clinched his jaw. "Well, if you're unwilling to listen to me about this, then I have no idea what I'm even doing here."

"You have always supported me…why can't you do that now?"

"We've always been a team, but you have thrown away everything we spent a lifetime working for, and I refuse to stand by and watch you do it," he said coldly before turning and walking out the door.

His words jabbed like a knife and I was left trembling in their aftermath. What if he was right? What if I couldn't figure it all out? I was in way over my head and felt utterly lost; I only wished I knew how to rectify it. I refused to give up Carlie, but how was I going to provide for her? I didn't want to leave school, but I'd do absolutely anything for my baby. The more I thought about it, the more intensely stressed I became. The room abruptly started spinning again, _or maybe it never stopped_, and the next thing I knew I felt like I was falling, and then everything became dark…


	10. Losing Faith

Chapter 10 – Losing Faith

**Bree**

The big buildings of New York City were unlike anything I ever experienced before. I couldn't imagine how human beings could make such incredibly massive structures, but it was awe-inspiring and it gave me hope that anything was possible.

I wondered around aimlessly for a while, just soaking in all the beauty around me, but the later it got, the colder it became, and once again I was left questioning my decisions. Perhaps I should have headed south and went somewhere warmer.

"Hey pretty little girl, you're a far ways from home," a dirty man wearing holey clothes called to me as I passed.

I felt bad about ignoring him, but the truth was he made me very uncomfortable so I just kept walking. As I continued, however, different people would call different things to me, and a few even tried to grab me, but when one got up and started following me I got scared and actually ran to escape.

Eventually I found a quiet alleyway and decided it was the safest place I was going to get for the night, so I huddled behind some cardboard boxes and curled up in a ball just trying to find some kind of relief from the cold. A little while later I happened to look towards my left and noticed a small group of people convened together around a trash fire. I watched them for a bit and came to the conclusion that they were a family complete with a mother, father, and two children. It made me sad that they didn't seem to have a home, but they looked happy to be together, and I think that was what really counted.

When the chill of the night got unbearable, I hesitantly scooted a little closer to the fire hoping to feel just a little of it's heat, and that's when the mother noticed me there.

"Are you cold?" she asked. When I nodded she smiled and waved me closer. "Please, come sit with us."

"Thank you," I said graciously. I was so beyond grateful to receive renewed faith in humanity as I was shown that just like the lady who gave me money for a bus ticket, there really were good people in the world.

"So, what brings you to this area?" the father asked me as I reached my hands out over the fire to warm myself.

"Uh…I'm in the city trying to find a way to meet my favorite band," I said honestly. "The internet said they were taking a small break from preforming but would probably be back soon…and I'm not sure why, but I really think they'll come here when they do return."

The family just stared at me blankly, looking like they were at a loss for words from my comment.

"So…where is your family?" the mother asked me after a minute.

"Oh, I don't really have one. My parents were involved with the mafia and they knew it would be too dangerous to keep me, so they left me with my distant relatives and then they all died when the tornado hit, but I survived by hiding in the bathtub."

"Do you think we should believe any of that?" the father asked skeptically.

I sighed. "No sir, I just made it up. The truth is that I don't have a family because I was put up for adoption when I was a baby…except I was never adopted."

"I see," the man said. "Well, you're welcome to stay here with us for as long as you want."

"Oh, thank you, I really appreciate it," I said with a smile. So that night I concocted a plan; I'd search for any clues as to where I could find the band during the daylight hours, but when it got dark and cold I could return to the family and feel safe while I slept.

The next morning I woke up hungrier than I had ever been, so as a thank-you for letting me stay with them, I decided to use what was left of my money to buy some breakfast for everyone. I was able to quickly find a little stand that sold bagels and donuts, so I ordered five of them, but when I reached in my pocket to get my money, I realized it was gone.

"I'm sorry, I lost my money," I told the man bashfully.

"No money, no donuts," the man replied coldly. "I'm not in the business of feeding homeless kids."

I nodded and then said "Thank you anyway, sir," before turning and walking away. The worst part of being hungry in the city was the fact that there was so much food everywhere, and the smell of it all made my empty stomach ache more than I ever thought possible. So I resorted to, once again, watching people eat and then hurrying and taking their leftovers before the trash could spoil it.

When I had my pockets full of food, I brought it back to the alleyway intending to share it, but that was when I saw the family splitting a pizza.

"Oh…you're back," the man said, surprised to see me.

"Yeah, I brought some food," I told them sheepishly.

I pulled out the scraps to show them, but they just smiled. "Thanks hun, but we're fine right now. You go ahead and enjoy your own food," the woman told me.

I nodded with a forced smile. "Oh, okay….I'll just go over there then," I told them, sensing that they wanted me to leave. After I ate alone, I decided to rest behind the boxes again and I closed my eyes, but that was when I realized what had happened to my money…

"Careful not to wake her," I heard the woman say as I felt one of them patting my pockets.

"What makes you think she has more money on her?" the man asked his wife.

"A pretty little thing like her? I bet people just handed her money for doing nothing."

"Maybe we should think about handing her over to Laurent. I mean, if she really aint got any family, might as well get some money for her," the man suggested.

"Hey, that's a good idea," the woman replied. "I bet those sickos would pay a pretty penny for this pretty thing. Most of the kids they get are nowhere as attractive as her; they'll probably have a bidding war."

I had no idea what they were talking about, but when the man started to pick me up, I knew I had to get out of there. I felt bad for doing it, but I kicked him to get away, and then I ran away as fast as I was capable of. When I finally got somewhere far enough, I sat on the ground and just started crying. I didn't understand how people could be so nice one minute and then turn around and do something mean. It made me wonder if perhaps even the good people had cruel motivations. What if there wasn't a single truly good person anywhere? What was the point to leaving my foster home if they weren't any worse than everyone else? Maybe my life would never get better. Maybe I should just stop trying...

_~X~_

**Bella**

_Beep_

Bright lights blinded my vision

_Beep_

My mind was clouded and I struggled to remember where I was.

_Beep_

I couldn't feel my body, but somehow the pain was still immeasurable.

_Beep_

I tried to sit up and figure out where I was, but something was restraining me and I was left completely paralyzed.

_Beep_

I tried to talk, but no words came out.

_Beep_

I tried to scream, but no sound escaped my lips.

_Beep_

And then darkness overtook me again…

Sometime later I regained consciousness, but it was still dark and I had to remind myself to open my eyes. The vast difference between the darkness of my eyes closed and the brightness of the lights in the room instantly gave me a migraine, so I raised my arm to shield my eyes but that only confused me more. _Why did my arm feel so heavy?_

"You're in the hospital," I heard a familiar voice say. I turned towards it and saw my father sitting beside me looking like an absolute wreck.

"Wha…why, what happened?" I asked groggily with my confusion tripling. The last thing I remembered was being inside my dorm room trying to figure out how to care for my baby…._My baby!_ In a panic I felt my abdomen and was horrified to feel it utterly empty. "Wh–Where's my, what happened…Where is she? Where's Carlie?" I shouted at him. Obviously I was no longer pregnant, but that realization only made me desperate to find her. It was too early…she wasn't ready. "I need to see her," I said, trying to muster up some strength to get out of bed.

"Bella, you need to calm down," Charlie said while trying to restrain me.

"No, Carlie needs me!" I shouted at him.

"Honey…I'm sorry," he said somberly.

"You're sorry?" I asked in disbelief. Clearly he wasn't apologizing for our quarrel, so what the hell was he trying to say?

"Your roommate found you unconscious….The doctors said you fainted, and then you started hemorrhaging."

"What does that mean?" I asked, refusing to believe what he was implying. "Where is my baby?"

"She didn't make it, kid… I'm sorry."

And in a split second, my entire world caved in on me. I felt sick, well, I felt more than sick, I felt like I was drowning, and yet, I couldn't find the will to fight for air. I lost more than my baby that day, I lost myself, and every ounce of drive and determination I once felt instantly evaporated into thin air…


	11. Finding Some Relief

Chapter 11 – Finding Some Relief

**Bree**

After being in New York for more than a week, I was dirty, and hungry, and something I ate from the trash must have been bad because I had a terrible stomachache. I had slept in alleyways, and amongst dumpsters, and on obscure street curbs, but for the past couple days I had been sleeping in a park. Thankfully it was quiet at night with only a few other homeless people, but during the day my location made me sad. All the parents playing with their kids and dogs, it made me long for what I never had, a real family.

I was never told anything about my parents, but I often wondered what happened to them. Why did they give me up? Did they just not want me, or perhaps they couldn't take care of me and thought it would be best to give me to someone who could? I'd never know for sure, but thoughts of them were stronger than they had ever been in the past, and I couldn't help but wonder why.

Suddenly, as I was sitting on a bench, a ball curiously found its way to my feet, so I reflexively picked it up and looked around for its owner.

"Over here!" a little girl shouted at me. "Kick it!"

I smiled and then kicked the ball back to her, but to my surprise, she asked me to play with her and her mom. So the three of us ran around, and laughed, and played for what felt like hours. Claire and her mom Emily seemed very nice, and they even invited me to lunch with them.

"Oh…I don't have any money," I told them bashfully.

"That's okay, I was just going to make some sandwiches," Emily said kindly. "Our apartment is in that building right there. You're more than welcome to join us."

"Really? Thank you so very much," I said sincerely grateful, but at the same time, I was a little apprehensive to be going into a stranger's home. My past experiences had made trusting anyone difficult, and I couldn't help but wonder if the woman had a different reason for being nice. But because I was so hungry, I decided to go with them anyway.

Their apartment was small, but it was clean and they had a lot of nice stuff. In fact, it was all so nice that I didn't want to touch anything with my dirty hands. "May I use the restroom?" I asked timidly.

"Of course, sweetheart. Actually, why don't you take a shower and I can give you something of Claire's to change into while I wash your clothes."

I hated being so grimy, so the offer of a shower was too good to pass up. "Thank you, Ma'am."

"Please call me Emily," she said with a warm smile. "I'll have lunch ready by the time you're done."

"Thanks," I said again.

And the shower did feel amazing. It's funny the way you never notice the little things like that until you don't have them anymore; I never enjoyed getting clean so much in my life. When I was done, however, I was embarrassed by just how dirty the bottom of the shower was from me, so I quickly dressed and intended to go ask Emily for a cleaner of some sort, but that was when I realized the trouble I was in...

"She's homeless, I'm sure of it," I heard Emily say as I hid around the corner from her. When there were a few moments of silence, I realized she must have been on the phone with someone. "I don't care what your policies are, there is no way I'm letting that little girl back out to the streets….Well, you're Child Welfare, aren't you? You need to find her somewhere to go….Okay, I'll be waiting," she said irritated before hanging up the phone.

My chest tightened. I couldn't let Child Welfare get me. I couldn't go back.

"Um," I said quietly so she'd know I was there. "I made your shower dirty…Do you have anything I can clean it with?"

"Oh, don't worry about it honey, I'll clean it later. Come sit down and have a sandwich."

I nodded and did as she told me. I couldn't stay there and wait for someone to come and take me back to Victoria's, but I couldn't pass up a sandwich either. I scarfed down my meal as fast as I could, and when Emily excused herself to the restroom, I wrote out _'Thank You'_ on my napkin with a crayon, and then I hugged Claire goodbye before practically running out of the apartment.

I made a point to memorize the number on the outside of the door, that way I could return the clothes I was wearing as soon as I was able to get new ones, but I had no idea how long that would take. By the time I got out of the building, I saw the Child Welfare van pull up so I ducked around the building and ran through the alleyway to escape. I needed to get as far from there as possible, and I couldn't stop again until I was sure they wouldn't find me.

I was clean and had food in my belly, and that was the most I could hope for at that time, but of course, living on the streets I knew I wouldn't stay like that for long. If I was going to find Cullen I had to do it soon; there was no way they'd let me anywhere near them if I looked like a mess and smelled bad. I needed to get serious with my search. It was time to find a place to belong…

_~X~_

**Bella**

I never got to hold her. I never even got a glimpse of her outside my body. But to me, she had been such a large presence in my life for the past six months that I honestly felt like the loss of her tore a huge hole in heart. Sometimes the pain was so great that I didn't know if I could make it through the day, but other times I just felt numb and wondered what the point to living was at all.

I took a couple weeks off of school, but even when I learned to manage the pain and returned, I still couldn't focus on anything. _Why was I even there?_ I lost all my drive and determination, and completely forgot all the reasons I wanted to go to college in the first place.

"Hey, did you miss classes today?" Alice asked me gently one afternoon. I was just sitting on my dorm bed, staring at the wall like I often seemed to do lately.

"No…I dropped out today," I said robotically.

"Oh my god," Alice whispered…or maybe she yelled, I couldn't tell the difference. "What are you going to do now? Go back to Washington?"

I shook my head. "I can't go back there…I'd rather live on the streets."

"Bella, I know you haven't spoken to your dad much, but…"

"No," I said evenly. The truth was, maybe I blamed him for my loss. My doctor said that sometimes these things just happen, but if we hadn't been arguing that day, if he would have just supported me, perhaps I would have been calm enough to realize something was wrong sooner and I could have gotten help in time to save her. I'd never know for sure, but I just couldn't stand being anywhere near him, and I wondered if I ever would again.

"Okay, well, at least stay here for the night and we'll figure out something for you to do tomorrow," Alice suggested.

"I can't. The administrator said I needed to be out of the dorm tonight," I said emotionlessly.

"Bella…where will you go?" she asked concerned.

I didn't answer her simply because I had no idea. I had three boxes worth of stuff in that room, and there was no way I could carry all of it. I didn't even have a car to live in, but at the moment, I couldn't bring myself to even care.

I shrugged. "Thank you for everything, you've been a good friend," I told her before grabbing my jacket and my mom's necklace, and walking out of the room with nothing else. I really didn't care about anything left anyway, so I suppose the people in charge of the dorms could just throw it all away.

I stood outside the college and just stared at the people passing by. I had no idea where to go, but I suppose it didn't matter anyway. I used to see homeless people all the time and I often wondered how they got that way; well, I didn't wonder that anymore.

But I couldn't stand there forever, so I slowly started walking. The direction didn't matter and I didn't have a destination, but I didn't get very far before someone was pulling me to a stop.

"Bella, where are you going?" Alice asked while grabbing my arm.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, it matters. Listen, I have a friend who's looking for a roommate. I just called him and he said he's willing to cover rent for a month until you have an income to pay for your half."

"He?" I asked confused. Not that I really cared, but I was surprised she'd suggest me living with a guy.

"Yeah, he's a cop…He actually arrested me one night when I first moved here because he thought I was a streetwalker," she said with a laugh.

"Oh."

"But he's super sweet."

I sighed. "Look, Alice…I'm really not in the right place to find a job…I don't even know where I'd look."

"I already have a job lined up for you as well," she said with a smirk.

"Really?" I asked slightly bewildered. "Doing what?"

"Waitressing… Okay, so it's not the most glamorous job, but at least it's something. And you did say you love to cook, right? At least this is being around food. Eventually you could work your way up to manager, and restaurant managers actually make a decent living."

"Oh…I don't know."

"The way I look at it, you don't really have any other options…I mean, apart from turning tricks or going home to live with your dad."

I scrunched my face in disgust. "I would never go back to living with my dad."

She laughed once. "Turning tricks would be a better option?"

"Definitely," I said with slight humor. It was the lightest thing I had said since losing my baby, and to be honest, it felt really good. As much as I didn't want anyone making sacrifices for me, it was nice knowing I had some kind of option, so reluctantly I agreed to go meet Alice's friend.

"Bella, this is Jacob, Jacob this is Bella," she introduced us.

I forced a smile and reached out to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you. I really appreciate the opportunity to look at your place."

"_My_ place?" He turned and looked at Alice questionably. "I thought you said she's moving in for sure?"

"She is," Alice said assuredly. "She's just a little timid. I already explained all of this to you."

"Okay…well, make yourself at home. I have to go to work, but we can talk more tonight?"

I nodded. "Sure, thanks."

When he left Alice and me there alone, I turned and glared at her.

"What?" she asked with a laugh.

"Is this some kind of set up, or something?" I asked her suspiciously.

"What? No….but he is pretty hot though, isn't he?"

"Alice," I chided her.

She sighed and then became serious. "Okay listen; he doesn't want anyone knowing because as a cop he's supposed to be all macho, but…he's gay. So, no, I'm not trying to hook you up with him. In fact, I figured that since you're probably not going to be up to dating for a while, this could be the perfect situation. His buddies at work will think you're his live in girlfriend, and you won't have to worry about any sleazy guys hitting on you because you'll be _'dating'_ a cop. It's a win- win situation."

"So when I suggested the name Jacob for my baby…"

"It _is_ too common of a name," she said defensively. "But yeah, I was also thinking about him. He loves kids and even when you were pregnant I thought his place would be a good option for you. You know, if you couldn't come up with a different plan," she admitted. "It would have just been too weird if the baby had his name."

I squeezed my eyes shut and put my hands up hoping she'd get the hint to stop talking about my lost baby. There was only so much I could take, and we had already surpassed it.

Alice showed me around the little apartment, and I was surprised to see my stuff from the dorm already in the smaller of the two rooms.

"I had a couple guys bring it all over here," she said sheepishly. "This is going to be good, Bella, you'll see."

I nodded and seriously felt like crying. It was so overwhelming that a good cry would have been almost therapeutic, but I refused to succumb. I had cried so much for my baby that when my tears dried out and I turned off those emotions I promised myself I'd never cry again, and I certainly wasn't going to break that promise then.

So I agreed to live with the cop. A part of me would have rather rotted away on the streets, but I knew that it wouldn't be long before my father hunted me down and forced me into some kind of psych-ward, and that was the last thing I ever wanted to do.

Alice had class so she eventually left, and when Jacob came home later that evening, I was pleasantly surprised by how well we got along. He talked about his family and how he was a fourth generation cop but that his real love was baking, so we had that in common. He also told me about the only time he had ever been in love and how he was forced to end it because both of their families were religious conservatives. As much as I hated to admit it, I completely understood why he was unwilling to sacrifice his family's approval for his own happiness; I had lived that way my entire life, and when I finally did do something that made me happy it just about ruined everything. It was easy to become cynical after something like that.

A couple days later I started my job waitressing. It was actually pretty good, although it also left room for a lot of downtime, which I definitely didn't want, so I decided fairly quickly to get a second job at a grocery store a few blocks away. Between both jobs I was making more than enough money to pay my rent and living expenses, but I never bought anything frivolous and every extra penny I made I'd put directly into a savings account - though I had no idea what I was saving for.

Every day was monotonous, and I knew my life would never amount to anything more than that, but that was exactly the way I wanted it. The less I had to think and feel, the less I'd remember everything I lost. It was the only way I could survive…


	12. Waking Up

Chapter 12 – Waking Up  
"Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons

**Edward**

I had no Plan B, I never went to college, hell, I hardly graduated high school, so without my music I was left wondering what the hell I was going to do with myself. For the first few weeks I just drifted around by sleeping on various friends' couches and living off of what was left in my bank account, but when my funds ran out, and my buddies stopped being so understanding, I knew I needed to figure out something else.

As I was walking down the street one afternoon, something sparked my attention and suddenly everything became clear. I didn't even give myself a moment to think it through; I just walked right into the recruitment office, and signed my life away to the military. Four years of active duty with the possibility of being sent overseas and never returning seemed like a good idea at the time, but even before my training was done I was already regretting it.

_What the hell did I get myself into?_

I wanted something that didn't require any emotions, but the longer I stayed in a war zone, the more I realized that was the exact opposite of what I found. The sheer suffering of the people around me was beyond devastating and made me hate myself for ever thinking I had it rough. Life was lived from day to day, and when you never know if you're going to survive the night, it makes dwelling over the things I couldn't have seem ridiculous and petty.

The months dragged on, and at times I felt like I'd never step foot back on American soil, but somehow, someway, four years had passed and I was left with a decision - _Should I reenlist, or should I try to make some kind of life for myself as a civilian?_ After living as a soldier for that long, the thought of a normal life seemed somewhat surreal and almost unattainable, but to be sure going back overseas was what I wanted, I decided to take a little time to think about it.

I wasn't sure what made me go to New York instead of home to Chicago, but for whatever reason, that was where I ended up. Maybe it was because I had lost my heart there and a part of me was still looking for it, but never in a million years did I expect to see her again. However as I was sitting on a bus heading downtown, I happened to glance out my window and there she was. Bella. The girl I had given up everything for and even went to battle to forget. I realized in that moment that I could never forget her; I just suppressed my thoughts and emotions for her as a form of survival, but once again, five years later, I found myself instantly bewitched by her.

The bus was stopped at a red light, and everything was in slow motion as I watched her coming out of a little café to greet someone. I reflexively stood, intending on getting off the bus and going to talk to her, but that was when I noticed who she was greeting. It was a man…and they looked very happy together as they embraced.

The incredible high I got from first seeing her, and then the abrupt painful disappointment from seeing her with that man actually made me feel sick, and suddenly I was right back into that pathetic all-consuming funk I had felt the first time I lost her.

_Really though, what the hell was wrong with me?_ With everything I had seen, and all the things I had done, there I was, letting some girl I only met once rule my life? It was madness…and yet, no amount of logic could save me from it, which only pissed me off.

I wanted to run away and scream out the fury I was feeling, perhaps even jump off the bus and stand in front of her and demand that she remember how perfect our time was together, but when the light turned green and the bus started moving again, I could do nothing but watch Bella disappear in the distance. Inaction was one of the worst things that someone could possibly do, and I was beyond appalled that I was guilty of it. For all I knew that man could have just been a friend, I needed to go back…

So the next stop the bus made, I got off and ran the three blocks back to where I saw her, except, of course, she was no longer at that café. That man, who I decided could have even been her brother, was more than likely picking her up, she did appear to be wearing a waitressing uniform, so I suppose that would make sense.

I decided it was best to ask someone – "Um, excuse me, does a Bella work here?"

One of the café bussers came over to answer me. "Uh, sorry, I don't know any Bellas. Why, did you lose one?" he joked.

I had to grit my teeth to keep myself from verbally attacking him. Then I took a deep breath. "How about an Annabella, Arabella, Isabella, Mirabella…" I actually felt like an idiot for not knowing her real name, or even her last name for that matter.

"He's talking about Isabella Swan," one of the waitresses thankfully butted in. "She goes by Bella to her friends, moron," she said to the busboy.

"Oh, right, Isabella, yeah, she works here. What's it to you?" the busser asked me, trying to sound all tough. I seriously considered punching him in the face just to knock that attitude out of him, but I forced myself to hold back.

"Well, is she expected to be back soon?" I asked, hoping she just left on break.

"Nah, her shift is over for the day…and she won't be back for the rest of the week; I think she's going on some vacation with her boyfriend or something."

"Vacation with her boyfriend," I repeated robotically.

Suddenly the waitress who told the busboy Bella's name was back. "I bet she comes back engaged," she squealed. "Those two have been together long enough, I mean, what's the point of living together if they don't eventually get married?"

The busboy scrunched his face. "Why would anyone want to marry a cop? If they're not pigs they're pansies, and I swear I've caught him checking out my ass when he comes in here."

"Oh hush up, Randy, you have no idea what you're talking about," the waitress chided him. They continued to bicker, but I couldn't hear anymore because once again, I felt like I was drowning. Bella was not only happily with someone else, but she was living with him and probably getting engaged.

I could feel myself falling back into the abyss and I wondered how I'd ever recover again, but then something snapped inside of me and everything changed. Bella wasn't married yet, and maybe, just maybe, if I did something big, she'd see me and find her way back into my life.

I decided right then and there that I would not fail. The military was out, it was time to get back to my roots and finally become what I was always meant to be. So I called Carlisle…and then Emmett, and I left Jasper for last because he was who I was most afraid to talk to. Separately they all tried to make it at some point, but never found any true success. All three of them worked various mundane jobs that had nothing to do with music, but when I called them each seemed more than a little interested in getting the band back together. Jasper unsurprisingly had the most reservations; he didn't trust that I'd stick it out, but after a few hours of convincing, he too ultimately agreed to give the band one more try.

We knew we had our work cut out for us, it was like starting from the beginning, but after only a few months of practice, we were back to sounding just as good as we ever did, maybe even better. I didn't know how he did it, but somehow Carlisle got Aro to re-sign us, and we were off. Before long we were back to playing the night club circuit, and county fairs, and then…Europe.

I hated being back to an entire ocean away from what I really wanted, but I had to believe that if there was even the smallest chance that Bella and I would end up together, it was the path I needed to take. Besides, as much as I was doing it for Bella, I refused to let my band-mates down again. If being in the military taught me anything, it was just how important having brothers really was, and I would not abandon them again…._unless, of course, I did find Bella and she asked me to quit, because lord knows I'd do absolutely anything for her._

In addition to playing our old songs, I also started writing new ones. Some were about pain and the loss of love, but the one that really got us noticed was about finally waking up. After spending so many years feeling dead and running from my life, I had returned and was ready to take on the world by any means necessary.

The song was a hit in Europe and Asia, but when American DJs got a hold of it and started playing it in night clubs and on the radio, we finally felt like we were really achieving our dream so we returned to our home turf. Before long our single was climbing the U.S. charts as well, and being requested on the most popular countdowns in the country.

Making our first music video was surreal, and by the time it aired on MTV our second single was already skyrocketing. We were being called "the next big thing", but it was definitely taking its toll on us. We were all working hard and partying even harder, and when Emmett scared the hell out of us with an accidental OD, we knew cleaning up our act was the only way we could hope for any longevity.

So we hunkered down and dove even farther into our music; treating it like a real job instead of a twenty four hour party. Since getting all the drugs out of all our lives, things got even better for us; Carlisle got married to his long term girlfriend Esme, and when our band was meeting with one of the editors for Rolling Stone Magazine, Emmett too found his better half. Rosalie not only was beautiful, but she kept his ass in line, and we were all thankful for her.

I was beyond ecstatic for Carlisle and Emmett's happiness, but it did make me feel like shit for ever convincing Jasper to leave his old girlfriend all those years before, and more than ever, it made me long for what I lost.

Sold out arena after sold out arena, I found myself scanning every audience and suffering through every meet and greet just hoping Bella would miraculously show up and make it all worth it, but she never came. One day I realized I had been pining after her for over a decade, and perhaps it just wasn't meant to be, perhaps it was time to let her go…


	13. Moving Forward

Chapter 13 – Moving Forward

**Bella**

"So, you ready for this?" Jacob asked me as I was packing to leave.

"Remember what you promised?" I said sternly.

"No spas," he said while holding up three fingers. "Scout's honor."

"Yeah, that's what you said last time," I argued. Every year, for the past six years or so, Jacob had been dragging me along to his annual retreat thingy with his police officer buddies and their wives and girlfriends. It was torture. Not only did I have to play the part of loving affectionate girlfriend, but every year the women would all force me into a spa, get me naked and covered in mud so I couldn't escape, and then they'd give me the third degree on why Jacob and I weren't married yet.

"_That beautiful man needs to procreate,"_ one of the wives would tell me.

"_And you aint getting any younger,"_ another would add.

It was beyond irritating.

"It's only for a week," Jacob tried reasoning with me, as he did every year.

"A week of hell," I grumbled.

As much as I loathed going, I always did simply because Jacob needed me to and I'd do just about anything for him. He was more than a best friend, he was my family and I had no idea how I would have survived the rougher times without him.

"Hey, speaking of hell, your dad called again," Jacob said casually as he brought me my jacket to pack.

I rolled my eyes. "Why does he keep calling?"

"Uh, maybe because you haven't talked to him in years and he misses you," Jacob replied like a smartass.

"I don't even know how he got this number," I said while closing my suitcase. I had spoken to my father a few times over the years, but they were always strained conversations over the phone. We basically only talked to make sure the other was still living, but his recent persisting calls were really starting to make me consider cutting all ties with him completely.

"We never changed the number," Jacob reminded me.

"Oh crap, that's right…maybe it's time to do it now."

"He'll just find our new one…like he did the last time you tried to lose him. Bella, it's been almost ten years, why don't you invite him out here for a visit?"

"Nope," I said, making a popping noise while pronouncing the P.

"Look, I know you are still upset over what happened, and you always will be, but…maybe he's sorry and just wants you to forgive him."

"He doesn't think he did anything wrong so why would he want my forgiveness?" I snapped at him. My father was my least favorite subject, and I'd often get snappy when we spoke of him so Jake wasn't surprised by my bitter tone.

"Okay, but maybe if you actually talked to him…"

"Alright, I'll talk to my dad…the moment you tell your parents you're gay," I challenged him.

"That is entirely unfair and you know it's different."

"Why is it different? You've spent your entire life lying to them, and you think _my _relationship with my dad is fucked up? Those poor people think you and I are heading to the alter. They've asked me how many kids I want."

"I know," he said somberly. "I just…" he let his sentence trail off and we both knew the conversation was over. We had that talk many times before, so rehashing it when nothing had changed was pointless. The truth was, both of us were happy in our half-life, and we weren't ready to change it and probably never would be. Jacob and I had no romance whatsoever, but we were companions emotionally, and that's all we really needed…at least, that was the lie that got us through our days.

The weeklong trip was excruciating, just as I knew it would be, but when I returned to work the following Monday, there was a strange buzz happening in the café.

"Okay, what's going on?" I asked Randy who seemed to be in the middle of it.

"Bella, don't you know Edward Masen?" he asked, completely shocking the hell out of me.

"Excuse me?" I asked, unsure if I even heard him right.

"Edward Masen…From the band Cullen. Don't you know him?"

"Uh…I…I don't know…why would you think that I do?" I stuttered while falling into a surrealistic daze. I had dreamed about Edward Masen and our lost baby practically every day for the past ten years, but hearing his name out-loud in an entirely unexpected place was somewhat disorienting.

"That wasn't a _no_!" Randy shouted, and then turned towards Peter, another busboy. "See moron, I told you he's been in here before."

"Bella, you actually know Edward Masen?" one of the waitresses asked me in astonishment.

"I…Wait what? When was he in here?" I asked in almost a panic. _Did he really just say Edward was there?_

"He came in asking about you…It was right before you left for your little annual cop trip," Randy said excitedly.

"Last week?" I asked with my heart pounding outside my chest.

"No, it was a few years ago," Randy said with a laugh. "Before he was famous. Do you really think that if Edward Masen came in here now he'd get out alive? There'd be mass hysteria."

I just stared at him completely confused.

"Dude, she has no idea what you're talking about, bro," Peter told Randy with a laugh.

"Yes, she does, she has to," Randy said defensively. "Bella, tell them you know what I'm talking about."

"I have no idea," I said slowly.

"Edward Masen…Edward Freaken Masen, do you know him or not?" he asked frustrated.

"How do you know him?" I asked absently.

He huffed and went to grab some magazine, and then he brought it back and threw it in the counter in front of me.

My breath caught.

It was a Rolling Stone, and on the cover was the band Cullen. I slowly picked up the magazine and stared at it for what felt like a long time, and Edward just stared back at me with his bright green eyes that I had almost forgotten the depths of their beauty. Suddenly I was overcome with a vivid bittersweet memory of our time together. Every look, every word, every touch, it was so strong that I almost lost my balance just by thinking about it.

"You know him, right?" Randy asked, pulling me back into the present. "I'm telling all of you, he came into this very café a few years ago asking for Bella…Of course, if I remember correctly, he didn't know her real name. Maggie was working here at the time, she spoke to him too. If she was here now, she'd tell all you."

I never confirmed anything to Randy, but I was immediately consumed by wallowing in the regret that I had not only missed Edward again, but now that he was famous we had zero chance of ever reuniting. It was heartbreaking.

I never really thought we'd find our way back to each other after all that time, I was too much of a pessimist for that, but deep down it was what I had longed for, and having that taken from me was not only painful, but for whatever reason it also made something in me snap.

What the hell was I doing with my life? I had worked in the same two jobs for the past ten years without ever even attempting to get some kind of promotion at either, and I was pretending to date a gay man just to keep myself closed off from ever getting hurt again. I was a coward, plain and simple. But what got to me the most was that if Edward really did show up in the café looking for me back then, I could have been there and perhaps we could have started over and currently be together and happy, but no, I was off pretending to be Jacob's girlfriend and probably ruined the only chance I'd ever get. My choices had screwed up my life long enough; it was time to move on.

So I walked right over to the café manager and quit my job, and then I went over to the grocery store I worked at and quit there too. For the past decade I had virtually been doing nothing but working and saving money, so I had quite a hefty bank account and I already knew what I wanted to do with it.

Thinking about Edward so lucidly had reminded me of a specific conversation we had that night we spent together. He had said to me - _"If cooking is what you're passionate about, then that's what you should be doing," – _and that's exactly what I intended to do. I was going to take my savings and open up a café of my own.

Over the years I had learned enough about the café business to know what to do and not do, and my grocery store experience would help me to pick the freshest venders to purchase my ingredients; I was certain I could make a successful eatery that was both affordable and delicious. It was going to be my food, served my way, and I refused to stop until I got there.

I went home and I was surprised to see Jacob there when he was scheduled to be patrolling, but I was even more surprised by his reaction to my news…

"I want to do it too," he said, shocking the hell out of me. "I mean, it'll be your place, but I'd like you to employ me to bake the desserts."

"Uh…what about your job?" I asked confused.

"Well, like you, I quit today."

"What?" I shouted. "You quit? But…why, what happened?"

"Why are you so shocked after you just quit your job?"

"I was a waitress…You're a fourth generation cop. It's a little different."

"No, I _was_ a fourth generation cop, but now I'm a baker…or at least I will be if you hire me."

"But...but…" I was at a loss of words.

"I was just thinking about everything you were saying about me being a coward for not being honest about who I am, and I figured it's time. I think I can get a job down at my gym as a personal trainer, and between that and baking for you, I should be okay financially. I always hated being a cop anyway, and I'm really excited about this next chapter."

"And so you're going to tell your family the truth?" I asked skeptically.

"I will…_eventually_. I'm going to work up to it; quitting the family legacy job was the first step."

I smiled at him supportively. "Well, I'm proud of you."

"Of both of us," he corrected.

"Of both of us," I conceded.

He draped his arm over my shoulder. "Now, all we have to do is find ourselves some hot men."

I giggled, but then I thought of Edward and sighed.

Jacob sighed from my sigh. "You thinking about your baby daddy again?" he asked gently.

I shrugged and then had to bit my lip to keep myself from frowning. I wasn't sure why, but I hadn't felt like crying that much since I stopped crying all those years ago. "I just…sometimes I just…wonder."

"What your daughter would have been like," he said understandingly.

I shook my head. "What _we_ would have been like…if the three of us had somehow become a family," I clarified. "I don't know, it's like…when I close my eyes, I can picture her so clearly; especially now after seeing Edward's face again. She would have looked so much like him, and they'd be so beautiful together. I'm sure he would have adored her, and she him…I didn't even really know him, but I know they would have loved each other, I just know it…"

"Of course they would have," Jacob said while rubbing my shoulder supportively. "Is Edward Masen from that band really _your_ Edward?" he asked unsure.

"Wait, you knew he was famous?" I asked surprised.

"Well, I've seen him on TV a few times, but…I mean, I never put two and two together. But you weren't lying when you described how hot he was."

I rolled my eyes and couldn't help a slight giggle. "I don't think I ever said he was _hot_. I know I used the word 'beautiful' a few times, but never 'hot'."

"Well, he's that too. Hey, you know what I think, we should get tickets the next time he has a concert here."

My heart jumped. "I think it would be too hard to be that close to him and not actually get to talk to him."

"Maybe we'll get back stage passes," he said with an eyebrow wiggle.

"Jacob, I highly doubt I was his only one night stand. It was a long time ago, he probably doesn't even remember me."

"Of course he does, and I'd bet anything he was just as dazzled by you as you were of him. I mean, he did hunt you down at your college that next day, didn't he? And he did show up at your workplace a few years later…I mean, that's not something you do for a meaningless hookup."

I shook my head. "Even if it did mean something to him and he wanted to, I don't know, hang out with me or something, how could I ever tell him about our baby….and how could I not? It would just be too hard…too painful."

"Hey, I thought we agreed to stop being cowards?" he said with a wink.

I huffed. "You're right…If I ever miraculously get the opportunity to tell him, of course I will…I owe him that…I owe both of them that. If I had just gotten out of that stupid cab that day…"

"Stop beating yourself up about something you can't change. You made a mistake and you've had to live with it. Now it's time to move forward."

And he was right again; it was time to move forward, starting with opening my own café. So the very next day I went to the bank and applied for my business loan, and when it was granted I immediately went to work.

The "Second Chances Café and Bakery" opened a couple months later, and before long we had a steady stream of patrons, which in the world of eateries basically meant it was a huge success. Every day I was cooking in the kitchen and inventing new recipes; some were popular and others weren't, but I was finally happy…_at least professionally speaking._

Jacob quickly met someone at the gym where he worked, and it wasn't long before he moved in with him, leaving me alone in our apartment. I was beyond thrilled for him and I didn't mind living by myself, but at the end of the day, when everything was quiet, I longed for my lost family more than ever.

And then one day, seemingly out of the blue, I got a phone call that completely flipped my world upside down…


	14. Ten Years Lost

Chapter 14 – Ten Years Lost

**Bella**

"Shh, it's going to be okay," Jacob tried consoling me after my shattering phone call.

"I should have called him back, I should have went to visit him like he asked…I didn't realize he was sick," I cried tearlessly.

"I know, honey, I know," he cooed.

I was beyond devastated to learn of my father's passing, but the guilt I felt was suffocating and I didn't know how I was going to get through it. He had tried to call me, he probably wanted some peace and to say goodbye, but I was too stubborn and too pigheaded, and I'd never forgive myself.

A few days later I flew to my hometown of Forks to take care of my dad's final affairs, but when I met with his best friend and executor Harry Clearwater, I was in for a shock of a lifetime.

"Your father had a five hundred thousand dollar life insurance policy, which you were the beneficiary of up until about ten years ago, and then he switched it to a Bree Tanner… Do you have any idea who that is?" Harry asked me.

I scrunched my brows in utter confusion. "No…never heard of her, and I had no idea my father had that much in a policy either."

Harry shrugged. "I was just as surprised when I read his will. I have talked to your father practically every day for the past forty years, and he never mentioned anyone by the name Bree Tanner. Sue's a lawyer so she said she'll be able to track her down, but…I have no idea."

"Well, we had that falling out ten years ago, so…maybe he met someone briefly, a waitress or something, and decided she needed the money more than I did," I suggested. "I mean, he doesn't have to actually know her to leave his money to her, right?"

"I guess not… Well, I'm really sorry for you loss, and I'll keep you updated about this Bree."

"Thanks Harry, I'm really glad he had such a loyal friend…I only wish he had a more loyal daughter," I said full of self-loathing.

"Hey, no matter what happened between you two, I know he always adored you….which is another reason why I just don't understand this."

"It's okay, Harry, it's not like I need the money. For curiosity sake though, I'll be anxiously awaiting any information you have on the woman."

"Sure thing."

After attending the funeral and going through all of my dad's things for anything sentimental, I said goodbye to my childhood home, and then went back to New York.

I tried to focus back on my café, but there was something about the name Bree Tanner that kept haunting me. Who was she, and why did my dad feel the need to leave her money? I couldn't get over it, and I found myself almost obsessing over the different scenarios. Was she someone he just met once? Perhaps he had a secret relationship with her that he didn't want anyone knowing about. The possibilities were endless, and it was driving me somewhat insane.

And then one day, I got my answer…

_~X~_

**Bree **

Days seemed to bleed together; hours, years, it was all the same, and at times I wondered if I'd live on the streets forever. But then one afternoon, when I was doing my normal rounds of trash dinning, I saw it – a Rolling Stone magazine with Cullen right on the cover. Reflexively I grabbed the magazine and brushed off the garbage from the corners before staring right at Edward, who was staring right back at me. It was a sign. I couldn't give up…

I rolled the magazine and put it in my coat, and then searched a park looking for some change to buy myself a newspaper. Usually the entertainment section had a list of all the upcoming concerts in the area, and I just had a feeling that Cullen would be amongst them. They had a history of sometimes announcing the venue only a month before a performance, so I wouldn't be surprised to read they had a concert there within the week.

Once I found the change, I headed over to the donut shop where I knew I'd be able to purchase a paper, but that was when everything changed. I was just too excited and I wasn't really paying attention or thinking clearly; I was reckless, and it was going to cost me everything.

"Well, hello there," a cop said while grabbing me from behind. "Don't you look familiar?"

"I…uh…I was just heading home," I lied the best I could, but the truth was, I knew I was caught. That particular cop had chased after me once before, I guess I broke some loitering law or something, and I should have known better than to go anywhere near his usual hang outs.

"Funny, but you match the description of someone we've been looking for, I think I better take you in just to make sure you're not her," the cop replied.

There was nothing I could do or say to get out of it, it was entirely hopeless. All of the determination I had been clinging to, all the faith I had that someday I'd get the chance to make my life better, it just fizzled away like it never really existed. I was back to square one…

"So, Miss Tanner…that is your name, right?" a man who was questioning me at the police station asked.

Reluctantly, I nodded.

"My name is Sam Uley, I'm with the Department of Missing and Endangered Youths, it's nice to finally meet you. We've been looking for you for a long time now."

Again, I nodded.

"Bree…Do you mind if I call you 'Bree'? You can call me Sam."

"It doesn't really matter what you call me," I told him.

"Okay Bree, do you have any idea how long you've been away from home for?"

"More than ten years," I said quietly. "Though, I don't know the exact number of days because I'm not sure what the current date is."

Sam smirked at me, but then his face fell and he looked sad. "It says in this file that you're only ten years old?"

I shrugged. "I've been away from home all my life," I told him.

He sighed. "Bree, what made you run away from your foster home? We spoke to your parents and they sure seem really worried about you. You've been gone two months, that's a very long time for a little girl to be on the streets alone."

"They're not my parents," I told him evenly.

"Did they ever do anything to hurt you? Did they hit you…or make you feel uncomfortable in some other way?"

I thought about it for a minute, and then I shook my head. "No, they were fine," I said emotionlessly.

"So, why'd you leave?" Sam asked in a gentle tone that almost sounded kind.

"Because they got tickets to the Cullen concert, but they wouldn't let me go," I said semi-honestly. The truth was that had I left for a dozen reasons that had nothing to do with Cullen, but at the moment that was the only one that really mattered to me.

"A concert?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes sir."

Sam nodded pensively. "So…if they had taken you to the concert, you would have stayed with them?"

I bit my lower lip as I considered it, and then I said - "I guess so. I wasn't with them very long, but they weren't any worse than all the other people I had lived with."

"Cullen is your favorite band, I presume?" he questioned.

"Yes sir."

"What is it about them that you like so much?"

At first I didn't want to answer because every other time I had told anyone about my love for the band they just laughed at me or called me names, but then I took a deep breath and told him anyway. Surprisingly, when I said that listening to their music was the only time I felt like I belonged in the world, he seemed to maybe somehow understand a little.

"I used to feel that way about Van Halen; I probably would have done anything to go see them when I was younger," the man said lightly. "Listen kid, sometimes music, or art, or something like that can make us feel a little less alone, but that doesn't mean we should abandon everything for it."

"I understand, sir," I said, just hoping he'd leave me alone. I really didn't want to talk anymore; as much as I didn't want to go back, sitting there and talking about Cullen when I'd never get a chance to see them was almost worse.

Sam nodded again. "Well, it seems you've had a pretty rough time lately, so why don't I go talk to someone about letting you go home soon."

"Thank you," I said somberly.

A little while later a child welfare worker came and took me to a doctor to get checked out, and when they decided I was healthy enough they gave me something to eat, a shower, and a change of clothes. I didn't fight them on anything and answered whatever questions they asked as politely as I could, but I didn't feel anything. I wasn't happy or sad, and when Victoria and Riley showed up to take me back to their place, I didn't even care. I didn't care about anything anymore.

"Oh honey, we were so worried about you!" Victoria said theatrically the moment she saw me.

"You gave us a heart attack," Riley added as they both embraced me.

Sam showed up again and shook their hands while they continued with the charade of being grateful I was found.

"We were terrified we'd never see her again," Victoria told him.

"Well, kids around her age, especially ones who haven't had the most stable upbringing, can sometimes fixate on something that may seem unimportant to us, but to them it's the world," Sam told them.

"Oh well, we felt so bad when she couldn't go to that concert, I mean, we tried hard to get her a ticket, but you know how it can be," Riley lied.

"Of course," Sam replied with a strange tone. "Look, the last thing I'd ever want to do is reward this kind of behavior, but Cullen will be playing at The Garden tomorrow and our department always has a handful of tickets…I'd like to give three to you so you can take the kid…I'll even pay for a hotel for you to stay in tonight."

My heart jumped from hearing that Cullen was in fact in the city - _I was right, I knew I was right_ - but then I got sad again. I was positive Victoria would never let me go, so being excited was pointless. Heck, she'd probably lock me in the hotel room while they went without me, she was just that kind of person.

"Oh, that is so nice of you," Victoria squealed. "I'm sure she'll just love that."

"Great, I'll have Collin over there get them for you and square away all the details of your hotel," Sam said with a smile, but then his face hardened. "Make sure you take plenty of pictures while you're there. I'll give you my email address so you can send them to me."

Victoria's fake smile fell just the tiniest amount. "Of course."

For the entire ten minute cab ride to the hotel, Victoria and Riley continued the part of loving parents - they must have been worried the cab driver worked for Sam or something - but the moment we got inside the room, they finally dropped the act…starting with a hard slap across the face.

"If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll make sure you never see the light of day. Do you understand me?" Victoria threatened me.

"Yes ma'am," I whispered while trying to rub the sting out of my cheek.

"You are mine. You belong to me, and no matter how far you run, I will always bring you back."

"Yes ma'am," I repeated.

"Ohh, I just want to beat the shit out of you!" she growled.

"Okay, calm down, we have her back now, no need to hurt her," Riley tried calming her.

"She almost ruined everything!" she shouted at him.

"Yes, but if you beat her we won't be able to take pictures of her at the concert tomorrow, and that guy will start asking questions."

"Oh, he doesn't care about her, he was just being 'nice'," she spat.

"I don't know, kind of sounded like a threat to me," Riley argued. "Just think about what's really important here. Taking her to that concert is nothing compared to the bigger picture. Just keep picturing all those zeros in our bank account," he said quietly with a smile.

I had no idea what they were talking about, _who would want zeros in the bank anyway_, but it didn't really matter either, because after taking a minute to think about it, Victoria agreed. _She actually agreed!_ I would be going to the concert, and regardless of not having backstage passes, I would find a way to meet Edward Masen.

_~X~_

**Bella**

"Harry?" I said, surprised to see him standing at my door and holding what looked to be a manila envelope of some sort.

"Hey Bella, sorry to just drop in on you like this, but I have some information and I thought I should tell you in person."

"Okay, come on in," I said anxiously. I had no idea what kind of information would warrant him flying across country instead of a simple phone call, but it scared the shit out of me. "Can I get you something to eat or drink?"

"No thanks. I've actually always wanted to see New York, so my wife is waiting for me at the hotel and we're going to go to dinner when I get back."

"Oh, that's nice," I said, feeling slightly better about it.

"So…" We both sat on the couch and then he took a deep breath. "We found out a little about Bree Tanner."

"Oh," I said questionably. "Who is she?"

"Um…well, she's actually a child."

"A child?" I asked surprised and even more confused.

"Yeah…" He took another deep breath. "Apparently she was born here in New York City…at Memorial Hospital…on September tenth….ten years ago," he said slowly.

My heart stopped. "Wait…what are you trying to say?" I asked guardedly. It was ten years ago on September tenth that I had lost my baby at the Memorial Hospital, so what the hell did that mean?

"A few years back Charlie gave this to me to keep in my safe," Harry said while holding up the envelope he had, and then handing it to me. "I never opened it until a couple of days ago, and to be honest, I actually forgot about it until then," he said apologetically.

Desperate to know what was going on, I practically ripped out the contents of the envelop and I nearly fainted when I realized exactly what I was reading…It was adoption papers….for a baby girl born ten years prior on September tenth…and my name was signed on the bottom line.

"Oh my god," I said on complete and utter shock. "I…this…I don't understand…my baby died, he said she died… She was too early, she couldn't have survived. _He said she died!_" I shouted, suddenly overwhelmed by a mix of angry bewilderment and reserved hope. Could it be true? Was it even possible?

"Bella, I swear, all he told me is that you lost the baby, but looking at those documents makes it pretty obvious to me what really happened…" he let his sentence trail off.

"What really happened?" I repeated absently as my entire body started shaking violently. "What really happened? What did happen? Why would he do that to me? How could he…It's beyond illegal…There are procedures protecting people from this, right? I mean, there had to have been witnesses or something…Someone can't just forge someone's name on adoption papers, can they?" I asked, beginning to get hysterical.

"Usually there are…Bella, I honestly have no idea why or how he could have done it….I know he was pretty upset when he came back to Forks after that, but I just figured it was because you almost died and all…Maybe he thought it was for the best, maybe he thought he was helping you"

Before I could scream at him for his comment, he put up his hands defensively.

"I'm not making excuses for him; I'm just trying to figure it out. But you're right, parents, especially new mothers, must have some kind of representative present to explain all the laws when putting up their baby up for adoption. He had to have had help of some kind. Unfortunately, I'm not sure we'll ever know for sure, I just thought you had a right to know who this Bree is."

It took every ounce of will power inside of me not to lash out and scream at Harry. I had so much rage for my father that I just needed to take it out on someone and his best friend seemed like a good choice, but deep down I knew he didn't deserve it. He wasn't the one who lied and stole my baby from me.

"Harry, thank you so much for coming all this way and telling me this, but I really need you to go now," I said evenly. I wasn't trying to be rude, but I couldn't sit there with him a moment longer, otherwise I'd surely lose it.

"Of course. And please, if you need anything, don't hesitate."

I forced out a gracious smile and then we hugged goodbye, and the moment he was gone I picked up the phone to call up some moral support.

Instinctively I began dialing a certain number, and I didn't even realize until she picked up that I didn't call Jacob. As much as he had been my rock over the years, at that moment I just needed to talk to Alice. We grew apart slightly after I moved out of the dorm, but not because we fought or had a falling out, we just stopped having anything in common. Through the years we had basically kept in touch with email and occasional phone calls, but I still considered her one of the best friends I ever had. She was with me during the hardest time of my life, and if anyone could possibly understand what I was currently going through, it was her.

"So…what am I supposed to do now?" I asked after telling her everything I knew.

"I wish I could tell you," she replied sympathetically. "Bella, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I should have stayed with you the entire time, I should have never let the hospital kick me out over some stupid family only rule."

"Alice, please don't blame yourself, there was nothing you could have done differently," I assured her. "And it doesn't matter anymore anyway. Now I just need to figure out what to do next."

"What do you want to do?"

I bit my bottom lip. "I want to find her."

"Okay, well is there an adoption agency listed at the bottom of the document? Why don't you give them a call and start the process of contacting her."

I huffed. "It's not that simple. She probably has a family. She might not even know she was adopted. I could seriously ruin her life by trying to contact her," I said, beginning to panic.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door making me jump. I kept the phone up to my ear, but when I peeked through the peep hole I immediately hung up and opened the door. "Alice, what are you doing here?" I asked surprised and grateful to see her.

"You obviously needed me," she said with a 'duh' tone.

"Yeah, but I know how busy you are…and how did you get here so quick, I thought you lived in Manhattan?"

"We've been on the phone for almost two hours," she said with a smile. "Besides, it's about time we got together again. Where's Jacob anyway, I thought he'd be here?"

"He moved out a few weeks ago," I told her. "Oh Alice, what if this is all just a stupid misunderstanding? What if this paper isn't what it looks like and Bree Tanner was just some random baby that my dad saw in the hospital that day. I mean, sometimes people do things like that; they leave money to strangers just because they're upset at their family members."

"Do you really think Charlie would have done that?"

"No, but I never thought he'd fake my baby's death and then forge my name to put her up for adoption either."

"Well, I think you know what you need to do," she said unexpectedly.

"I do?"

"You need to figure out exactly what happened. If you determine that this Bree is your daughter, then you can decide what to do from there."

I huffed. "Rationally I know I need proof, but I just…I just feel like maybe a part of me has always known she was out there somewhere. It's like…I could feel her. Like a piece of me was missing, and it wasn't like she died, it was like she was just locked away from me. And now that I _know_ she's out there, I have this terrible sinking feeling in my gut like…I don't know….like she needs me."

"Then let's do whatever it takes to bring her home."


	15. Instincts

Chapter 15 – Instincts

**Bree**

"So…how far are our seats from the stage?" I asked Riley with strained casualness as we were heading to the concert. The last thing I wanted to do was let them know just how excited I was because they'd probably find a way to ruin the evening, but my insides were so jumpy that I couldn't contain it completely.

"Well, they aint going to be too close," Riley replied. "There's no way they'd give them to us for free if they were."

"Oh…right. Did you guys go to the last concert you had tickets for?" I asked curiously.

"Nah, we scalped them at the door," he said with a chuckle.

"So are you excited to see the band tonight then?" I asked him.

"Wow, this is the most I think I've ever heard you talk," Riley said with a mix of humor and annoyance.

"Yeah, and it's driving me insane, so shut the hell up," Victoria cut in.

"Yes ma'am," I said, and then did my best to be as quiet as possible for the rest of the cab trip, but it was difficult because I had so much on my mind. I had spent the entire night before and most of that day sitting on the couch in the hotel living room just eagerly anticipating seeing Cullen, and all the while Victoria and Riley were in the bedroom doing whatever it was that they were doing. Sitting in that cab with them was the most time I had spent with them since being reunited, and to be honest, a part of me wanted to ask how the other kids were doing…but I bit my tongue and kept my questions to myself.

When we arrived at the concert location my heart felt like it was beating faster than a humming bird's wings, and I didn't even mind that our seats were so far away that I could hardly see the stage. I was still there, about to breathe the same air as Edward Masen, so I was the happiest I had ever been in my entire life.

"Will you stop bouncing around!" Victoria yelled at me when I wasn't sitting in my seat still enough. I tried, really I did, but my body just wouldn't calm down…Something big was going to happen that night, I could just feel it.

Finally the lights went down and the exhilarating twang of the electric guitar exploded through the air, signifying the beginning of the concert. Everyone clapped and cheered around me, but I grabbed onto the chair armrests to force myself to stay still - there was no way Victoria would be okay with me acting that happy.

I sat through the entire two hour set completely entranced in the surrealistic reality I was living in. I was at a Cullen concert. I made it, and no one could ever take that away from me. It was incredible, and I knew I could spend the rest of my life in darkness and still be okay because I'd always have that perfect memory to get me through it. No matter how bad my life got from then on out, I'd always be grateful that I got to experience pure happiness.

But like someone once said - 'All good things must come to an end', that's exactly what happened with the concert. It ended.

"Thank god that's over," Victoria huffed as the lights came back on. "I thought it was never going to end."

"Time to get back to the real world," Riley huffed. "Oh hey, Larry text me a little bit ago; he's finished with the lock on the kids' room. We won't have to worry about anyone escaping in the night again, now will we, Bree?" he said with a wink to me.

"I thought he refused to put the lock on the outside of the room?" Victoria questioned.

"I talked him into it. He installed the bars on the windows too."

"Good, now we just need to get the homeschooling thing handled. She won't have any need to leave the house at all," Victoria said with a chuckle. "As soon as that life insurance thing kicks in, we'll be sitting pretty. I really hope that old fart croaks soon, they did say he was sick, right?"

"Thankfully, it shouldn't be much longer now. Speaking of which, did Jane figure out how to get the funds released to us instead of waiting for Bree to turn eighteen?"

"She's still working on it, but I'm sure she'll figure it out," Victoria said confidently. "There has to be a loophole or something."

I still had no idea what they were talking about, but it didn't sound good, in fact, it sounded worse than not good, it all sounded horrible. Was that going to be my life from then on out - a prisoner in their home serving an indefinite sentence? Not only was my life going to be torture, but it sounded like they were somehow using me to scam someone, which was absolutely unforgiveable. I had been so sure that going to a Cullen concert would somehow make my life better, but it seemed I was going to pay for it for the rest of my life.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Victoria demanded as the crowd finally receded enough for us to get out of our seat.

As we began to make our way up the aisle, I overheard a man telling his wife to hold his hand so they wouldn't get separated, and suddenly I had an epiphany. Maybe I had one more chance to escape after all…

Without giving any warning, I darted out into the mass of people heading for the exits. I had no idea where I was going, but once I made it to the lobby area I ducked down a hall instead if leaving the building like everyone else was doing. My thought was that if I could hide somewhere long enough, Riley and Victoria would think I left as well, and they'd start searching for me on the street again where I could hopefully slip past them. It probably wasn't the best plan ever, but it was all I could come up with at the moment.

But then I glanced behind me, and standing a few yards back was Riley. Before I had a chance to duck, he saw me and automatically started shoving his way through the crowd in my direction, so I took off running again. I didn't pay attention to where I was going; I just kept running as fast as I was capable of. I had to find a place to hide.

The building was huge and it was easy to get turned around, but I honestly had no idea where I was and how I was going to ever get out. I ran down stairs, through doors, and along halls; everything looked the same. The crowd seemed to dissipate and just when I thought I was away from people completely, I went through another set of doors and found another crowd. It was all very confusing.

I had no idea if Riley was still following me, so when I found a door that said 'Private, Do Not Enter' I thought it would be the best place to go. It wouldn't keep him out for good, but it may detour him just a little. When I got inside, I flipped on a light and was absolutely stunned by what I found. What I thought was probably just a janitor's closet, was actually a sitting room of some sort, with a beautiful piano right in the center.

I tentatively sat on the piano bench, and pushed up the thing that covered the buttons. I had never actually been that close to a piano before, or any instrument for that matter, but I was always fascinated by them and I couldn't help but run my fingers gently over the length of it. I didn't apply any pressure, so the piano didn't make a sound, but the smooth feeling of the white teeth button thingies was incredible, and made me wish I could try it for real.

Suddenly a door in the back of the room opened, making my heart leap into my throat. I thought about running again or even trying to hide, but for whatever reason I just sat there, staring down at the piano completely petrified as the person came into the room and must have paused when I was spotted.

"Wow, not many kids can appreciate a vintage Neumeyer upright," the man said after a moment.

I still didn't look up at him, nor did I respond to his comment.

"Sorry, I didn't meant to scare you," he said gently. "Uh…how did you get in here? The door is usually locked."

I still didn't respond, but there was something about his voice that seemed warm and familiar, so reluctantly I peeked up at him through my heavy curtains of hair that had fallen in my face, and then I gasped.

"Are you okay?" he asked concerned.

I had dreamed of that moment for as long as I could remember, it was something I truly believed would happen, and yet, as I sat there looking up at Edward Masen I was at an utter loss of words. Was it really happening? Was he really there or had I wished for it so much that I was actually daydreaming? I suppose it didn't matter either way, sometimes reality could never measure up to a dream so if that was the case then I hoped I never woke up.

"Uh…are you lost or something? Where are your parents?" he asked me.

And like a light switch, the moment he mentioned my so called parents I snapped into action. "My dad works here at one of the snack booths," I lied confidently. "He told me I could go exploring after the show, but I guess he didn't mean in here," I said, pretending to be regretful. "I'm sorry, I guess I got lost and didn't realize where I was."

He stared at me strangely for a long minute, and then he shook his head. "It's fine, no harm done," he finally said.

"Do you want me to leave now?" I asked hesitantly.

"Are you sure your dad isn't looking for you?" he asked skeptically.

"I'm sure," I said with a smile.

He stared at me again, and like before it took him a minute to look away. "Uh, so…do you play?" he asked while pointing to the piano.

I smiled at him and then curiously felt myself nod. _Did I just nod?_ Before I could correct myself by saying that I actually couldn't play, he surprised me by coming over and sitting next to me on the bench. "What songs do you know?" he asked.

And then I was back to being petrified. Edward Masen was sitting next to me on a piano bench, and he was asking what songs I play...It was crazy.

"Uh…how about something simple?" Edward said while placing his hands on the piano. He pressed down on the buttons, making the most amazing sound come out, and after a few seconds I realized what song he was playing.

"That's _Ode to Joy_!" I said excitedly.

"Yeah…Want to play it with me?"

I shrugged sheepishly.

"Or we could do _Mary had a Little Lamb_?" he suggested.

"Can I try something?" I asked shyly.

"Sure," he said while placing his hands on his lap so I could have access to the entire piano.

Carefully I reached across him and pressed down on the furthest button from me, and then I pressed the one next to it, and the one next to it, until I pressed every single button on the piano. I was surprised by how easily I was able to recognize each one from the songs I loved, and remembering them by heart was almost as simple.

So I closed my eyes and listened to my favorite classic song in my head for a moment, before finding the right buttons to slowly start to play it. At first it sounded a little off, so I made a little adjustment and was able to make it sound as close as I could get it, but even though I was pretty sure it was right, something was missing. Then Edward placed his left hand on the buttons in front of him and started playing along with me, and suddenly there it was…Beethoven's _Moonlight Sonata_.

We played together through the entire song, and the deeper we got into it, the more perfectly it flowed. We were totally in sync, and it had to be the single most magical experience of my life, but it ended far too soon.

When the song was complete, he turned to look at me, and smiled. "That was great. How long have you been playing for?"

I bit my lower lip. "That was my first time," I admitted, not wanting to lie any more than necessary.

"That was your first time playing…._ever?_" he asked surprised.

"Yes sir," I said bashfully.

He stared at me again, but this time he looked almost confused and he even scratched his head. "Are you sure you've never played before?" he asked skeptically.

"I've never even been this close to a piano…but I really like it; I didn't know there was so many buttons."

"Buttons? Oh, you mean the keys?"

It was my turn to look confused. "They look more like teeth than keys."

He laughed once. "That's just what they're called."

"Oh…keys…well, I don't get it, but I still like them," I said with a smile.

And once again, he stared at me for a few more long moments, before finally sighing and shaking his head. "What did you say your name was?" he asked.

"I didn't say my name, but it's Bree," I told him while cringing just a little as my name came out of my mouth. I always hated my name, and I really wished I had thought sooner to make up a new one to tell him.

"Well Bree, it's really nice to meet you. I'm Edward."

"It's nice to meet you too. I just love all your music and maybe one day I can learn to play some of your songs on the piano."

He grinned. "Somehow I don't think that'll be a problem for you. If you can bust out Beethoven without any instructions, I bet you'll eventually be able to play anything."

"Do you really think so?" I asked excitedly.

"I'm fairly sure of it," he said with a chuckle.

"Oh, I hope so…Maybe you can teach me."

"Uh…I'd love to, really I would, but unfortunately I don't think we're staying in New York very long," he said regretfully.

"Oh, I know….Where are you going next?" I asked somberly.

"Um, I'm not sure actually. I just kind of get into whatever car or plane they tell me to," he said sounding slightly jaded. "I'm sure you can find a good teacher in your area…But hey, how about you give me your home number so I can call you next time we're in town, and I'll personally give you a lesson then."

"Really? You'd really do that for me?" I asked enthusiastically, but then I realized that would never work. "I don't think my parents would let me though."

"Why not?"

"They don't really like me to do…things," I told him.

He scrunched his brows like he was thinking about something really hard, but before he could say anything else to me the front door cracked open.

"Hey, sorry to bother you Mr. Masen, but by any chance is there a kid in there with you? A guy out here lost his daughter and someone said they saw a little girl heading this way."

I gasped, and then instinctually I jumped off the bench and hid behind the piano.

"Uh…" Edward glanced down at me baffled, and then he looked back at the man at the door. "Yeah, why don't you show him in here."

The man opened the door wider, and then Riley walked in with a friendly smile, but I could tell from his eyes just how angry he was at me. _Victoria was surely going to whip me for this one._

"Hello…Holy shit you're Edward Masen!" Riley said while reaching out to shake Edward's hand. "Man it's great to meet you, and I'm really sorry my crazy kid got in here to bother you."

"Bree hasn't bothered me at all," Edward told him. "In fact, she's extremely gifted and I'd really like to help you out with some music lessons for her."

"Oh that's generous of you, but it won't be necessary. She's really busy with school and things, I'm not sure she'd have the time. In fact, we have a hectic day tomorrow so we should be going; it is pretty late for a ten year old to be out of bed."

Edward looked at me again, and because I was still huddled on the ground he reached his hand out to help me up. "Are you okay?" he asked with an unexpected intensity.

"Of course she's fine," Riley cut in. "Did you fall down sweetheart? She's always been a little clumsy."

"Bree, are you okay?" Edward asked me again, ignoring Riley.

I nodded, but I may have shaken my head no slightly at the same time.

Edward looked at me like he was trying to read my mind, and then he took a deep breath and turned back to Riley. "I'm sorry to pry, but are you really her dad?"

"Are you kidding me?" Riley asked, suddenly becoming a little less friendly.

"Well, it's just…she doesn't seem too comfortable with you."

"That's just because she knows she's in trouble for running off when I told her to stay with me. Really man, what kind of person doesn't return a lost kid the moment he finds one? Just because you're a rock star doesn't give you the right to do whatever the hell you want."

Edward kept looking back and forth between Riley and me, and somehow, he actually seemed to see though his lies. "Bree, are you really okay with him?" he asked me again.

"This is ridiculous, I don't have time to listen to any more of this shit," Riley said while shoving past Edward and grabbing my arm. I didn't mean to do it, but he jerked me towards him so hard that I accidentally yelped.

I didn't see it happen, but suddenly there was a loud punch sound, and Riley went crashing to the ground while Edward stood in front of me protectively. Riley grabbed a hold of his nose, and then he started screaming as blood came pouring out between his fingers….

_~X~_

* * *

*****A/N:** Ahh, the power of paternal instincts! LOL.


	16. Lowest of the Low

Chapter 16 – Lowest of the Low

**Edward**

"You son of a bitch, you broke my nose!" the bastard shouted at me. "What the fuck is wrong with you? I'm going to sue you for everything you're worth. Mark my words you fucking lunatic."

As good as it felt to hit that idiot, I immediately worried about Bree. Did I scare her by punching the guy claiming to be her father? Even if the guy was a prick to her, it probably still upset her to see him hurt so I turned to make sure she was okay, and I was shocked by the look on her face. It wasn't fear; it was almost relief, which just about broke my heart. There was something very wrong with the situation.

But suddenly her face dropped. "Edward, watch out!" she shouted right before I was slammed in the back.

I stumbled forward from the force of the impact, and that was when I saw the broken lamp falling around me. Did that prick really just hit me with a fucking lamp? Too bad for him the thing wasn't strong enough to actually do any damage, but I was beyond pissed, and as much as I tried to keep it together for Bree's sake, I snapped.

I quickly recovered myself, and then I charged him. We threw each other around, completely trashing the room, we may have even smashed that beautiful vintage piano, but I couldn't bring myself to care at the moment. I was so enraged that I didn't even notice when Jasper rushed in with a couple security guards to break up the fight.

"Whoa, calm down man," Jasper said after he pulled me off of him. "What the hell is going on?"

"That fucking wacko is trying to keep me from my kid!" that bastard shouted.

"Edward?" Jasper questioned me.

I shook my head and then threw Jasper's hands off of me. I was shaking with fury so much so that I couldn't even talk at the moment.

"Alright, why don't you take the kid and go," Jasper said to the guy, but there was no way I was going to let him take Bree anywhere, so I moved in front of her to stop him. "Edward, what are you doing?" Jasper questioned me.

"He's not going anywhere with her…At least not until I know she's going to be okay," I told him.

"This is none of your business," Jasper tried reasoning with me.

"Yeah, listen to your buddy there, it's none of your business," the guy said smugly. I held my ground and refused to move, but that was when a strange expression crept across the idiot's face. "It's none of your business, that is, unless you _want_ it to be."

"What?" Jasper and I said at the same time.

"If you're so concerned about the kid, you can have her…for seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars."

My mouth just about dropped open, and I think Jasper's did as well. "You're disgusting," Jasper said to him after a minute. "And I'm about five seconds from calling the cops."

"Do you want the kid or not?" the guy asked me. "You rich folk are all the same, you throw your money around like it grows on trees, but when it comes to real issues you fucking clam up. If you're that concerned for her, prove it. Put your money where your mouth is."

"You're a fucking idiot!" Jasper spat at him. "And I'm definitely calling the police."

"Wait," I told him, shocking everyone in the room. "If I gave you the money, how would I know you wouldn't turn around and take her back anyway?"

"Edward," Jasper said incredulously.

"Give me half now, and half when I deliver all the legal paperwork," the guy suggested. "You can even keep the kid until then."

The room fell silent as I considered it, but then Jasper started to freak. "Alright, you two get out of here and don't repeat any of this to anyone," Jasper told the two security guys who had come in with him. When they were gone, he pulled me to the side and tried to reason with me. "Edward, what the fuck? You could get your ass thrown in jail for even talking about buying and selling kids."

I took a deep breath. "How will anyone find out?"

"What? Are you even hearing yourself right now?"

"All he has to do is sign over custody to me; I can have my lawyer make sure it's all legal, and then we never have to see that fucker again."

"Are we living in the Twilight Zone or something?" Jasper asked evenly. "I mean, are you fucking serious with this shit?"

"Yes, I'm completely serious. Look, Jasper, you weren't in here earlier, you didn't see Bree's face when that guy game in here. She's not only scared of him, but what the hell kind of person offers to sell their kid anyway? There's obviously something extremely wrong."

"Yeah, obviously, but it's not our problem. If you want to help her, let's call the police and let them handle it the right way."

"I can't do that," I told him.

"Why not?" he asked exasperated.

"Because the police won't be able to help her. I'm sure that guy knows how to work people; he'll make Bree out to be a liar and claim nothing is wrong, and then she'll have to stay with him."

"And maybe there isn't anything wrong. I mean, so she was scared of him, I used to be scared of my old man too."

"He offered to _sell_ her, Jasper, there is definitely something wrong," I said aggravated.

Jasper shrugged. "Yeah, for seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars; most parents would sell their kids for that." When I gave him a _'did you really just say that'_ look, he sighed. "Maybe they're just really poor and can't afford to keep her anyway."

"Then why would they be at a fucking concert, Jazz?" I pointed out. "Look, I understand how crazy this looks, but…I can't just turn my back on this kid. Seven hundred and fifty grand is nothing if it could save her from a horrendous life. How could I forgive myself for _not_ doing it?"

Jasper shook his head slowly. "It's happening again."

"What?" I asked confused.

"_This!_ It's that rooftop one night stand all over again."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, seriously hoping he meant something other than what it sounded like.

"Oh come on, you can't see what you're doing? I mean, besides the obvious legal matter here, you don't know this kid, and yet, you're willing to throw everything away for her. It just like when you quit the band before because that chick you hardly knew messed with your head."

"You're talking about Bella," I said calmly with a nod. "How is this anything like that? I'm not throwing anything away."

"This is _illegal_, so you must be willing to risk jail for her," he argued. "And let's say you do somehow manage to get custody of her without anyone finding out you actually bought her, what then? Are you going to take her on the road with us? Maybe even hire a tutor so she can learn as we travel…How long is that going to last for? Eventually you're going to want to put her in dance class and shit like that."

"I haven't figured it out yet," I admitted.

"Exactly, because you're too impulsive. You get prematurely emotionally involved, and then you can't dig yourself out of it. You're like a fucking preteen who actually believes in all that love at first sight crap. You're too fucking old for that puppy love crap, and this kid ain't a puppy either. You can't buy people!"

"Okay, I've been in love _once_; you make it sound like it happens all the time. But I suppose you're right, this situation is similar to the Bella thing because like Bella, there's just something about Bree…I feel this…I don't know, connection, and I can't just walk away. She needs help, and I'm going to help her," I said determinedly.

Jasper didn't understand, and I didn't expect him to, but that didn't mean I was going to change my mind. But before I fully committed to trying to get custody, I needed to have a talk with Bree. So I pulled her to the side and bent down to her level so she'd feel comfortable. "Bree, you have to be really honest with me; I need you to tell me what's happening with you at home."

She hesitated, and that was when the man got impatient. "Are you taking the deal or not?"

"Please let me stay with you," Bree asked me quietly. Maybe if there wasn't so much desperation in her eyes I would have had more reservations, but there was no way I could ever say no to her.

"Okay, you have a deal," I told him.

"Now…technically I don't have legal custody of her."

"What?" I asked getting increasingly more irritated with him.

"Well, I do, but as of now I'm just her foster parent. The adoption is in the final stages of legalization."

"Now it's all starting to make sense!" Jasper announced. "She's not even really his kid. Edward, there is no lawyer in the state that's going to win this for you. The government is just going to come in and take her back…Don't you get it? That's why this guy wants your money."

The guy cleared his throat. "I have a very good lawyer myself, and she has a lot of friends in the child welfare department. I can assure you, she will make everything turn out the way we want them to. You give me the money, and you will get full legal custody of Bree."

"Don't do it, Edward," Jasper begged, trying to get through to me one last time. "If he's not really her father then go through the proper channels to get custody, this guy is just going to fuck you…excuse me," he said, noticing the way Bree was looking at him. "He's just going to _mess _you over," he corrected himself.

"If you let me stay with you, I promise, I will never do anything to make you angry," Bree pleaded.

"Three hundred and seventy five thousand now and she's yours," the guy said with a smirk. "You can give me the rest when the paperwork all comes through."

"Edward," Jasper growled.

"Done," I said, and then gritted my teeth as I shook the bastard's hand. We traded contact information, and then I handed him a check.

"Perfect. See ya around kid," he said to Bree before turning around and leaving the room, whistling to himself as he went. Fucking jackass.

I felt sick. Buying a kid was probably the lowest thing I had ever done, and yet, for the first time in a very long time, I felt like I was doing exactly the right thing.

"I'm going to go call Liam to give him a heads up about all of this," Jasper told me.

"Jazz, it's almost midnight, wait till morning," I told him.

"You have a child that doesn't belong to you. I think our lawyer is going to want to get started right away on keeping your ass out of prison," he argued.

"It can wait until morning," I assured him.

"Okay, what are you going to do tonight then?" he asked, and then we both turned and looked back at Bree. She smiled widely and gave us a little wave, so we waved back.

"I'm going to take her to my hotel room to get some sleep, and then talk to her more about everything in the morning."

"And what happens when the money disappears out of your account and child welfare services shows up to claim the kid…Because that is going to happen, you know that don't you?"

I shrugged. "Well, it's not like three fifty is going to break my bank, and if she gets taken from me, then at least I'll know she's not with that fucking douche anymore. It's worth it, Jazz."

He nodded. "Okay…If you say so. I'll call Liam first thing in the morning so he can look into all your options."

"Thanks man."

"Yep," he said before heading for the door. "Goodnight," he said to Bree as he left.

"Goodnight," she called after him. "He doesn't like me too much, does he?" she asked me.

I sighed. "It has nothing to do with you, he's just a little upset at me right now."

"Because of me," she said somberly.

"I promise, it's not your fault, and I don't want you to worry about it. Come on, let's go get some sleep."

"Are we going to a hotel?" she asked wearily. "Riley and Victoria are staying in a hotel. I really hope it's not the same one because they'll probably try to take me in the middle of the night."

I shook my head. "I think Riley, is pretty happy with our deal. You don't have to worry about him anymore," I told her gently, and then I silently prayed to all things holy that it wasn't a lie….


	17. Processing

Chapter 17 – Processing

**Edward**

In the ten minutes it took to reach my hotel, I came to the realization that I knew absolutely nothing about kids. Seemingly without taking a single breath for nine minutes straight, Bree talked about her love for my band and how she always knew we'd meet, and then suddenly she was out like a light switch. She had fallen asleep so quickly that for a second I feared she had some kind of medical emergency, but then she started snoring.

"Hey Bree…we're here. You have to wake up," I told her gently, but she was obviously exhausted and only stirred to shift her weight towards me. I felt weird about it, _then again everything about the situation was weird_, but I picked her up anyway and carried her up to the hotel suite.

After laying her down in the bedroom, I couldn't help but smirk at how tiny she looked in that massive king sized bed, and as she slept there peacefully, for whatever reason, I thought about Bella and wondered what her life was like. Was she married with a few kids of her own? I couldn't imagine her not finding someone to spend her life with, I only hoped he was worthy of her, though I had my doubts anyone ever could be.

It didn't take long for me to come to the conclusion that watching a little girl sleep while thinking about an old lover was severely creepy, so I went out to the couch and tried to get some sleep myself, but of course I couldn't. Not only was my mind spinning with bittersweet thoughts of Bella, but after finally processing everything that happened that day, I was also hit with the very surrealistic reality that I actually paid a guy for a kid. Jasper was right; I was rash and impulsive and this time I crossed the line, but I had no idea how to get out of it without Bree suffering.

I laid awake for the rest of the night trying to figure out what to do, and before the sun came up the next morning I had worked myself into a full on panic. _What the hell did I get myself into?_

Luckily, at six thirty AM, there was already a knock on the door…

"Liam!" I nearly shouted as he came into the suite; I may have even hugged him from the relief I felt having him there. If anyone could get me out of that impossible situation, it was my wiz of a lawyer. "Thank god. I assume Jasper called you."

"Yeah…and you're in a heap of shit," he said as he walked past me into the suite.

"Fuck, I know. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Well, first thing's first, you need to call the bank and put a hold on that check before he has a chance to cash it, and then we need to call the police. As long as we do this right away, I'm sure I can talk you out of any charges," he assured me.

"How are you going to do that?" I asked skeptically.

"We'll just tell them you were concerned for the child's safety when her caregiver offered to sell her, and that should be enough."

I nodded. "Okay, but what about Bree? I need a guarantee that she'll never go back to that prick."

"The fact that we have multiple witnesses to confirm that he sold her, I'm sure he'll not only be arrested, but there's no way he'll ever be allowed near children again. By you coming forward so soon, it'll show that you agreeing to buy her was only a ruse to insure her safety."

I took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll call the bank."

Since there weren't any banks open during the hours that bastard had my check for, there was no way for him to cash it so I was easily able to put on the hold. Afterwards, Liam called the police station and briefly explained the issue, which meant it was time to break the news to Bree.

She was still sleeping in the bedroom, so I woke her up and explained. Needless to say, she was more than a little upset.

"But why can't I stay with you? I already promised that I won't do anything wrong."

"Bree, it's not about how good you are, it's about doing what's right. There is no way I could keep you like this. The government would never allow it. But I meant what I said last night; you don't have to worry about Riley and his wife ever again. I'm going to make sure of it."

She sighed while looking down at her hands. "Well, I suppose I already knew living with you was too good to be true. But thank you anyway; I'll never forget the time I got to spend with you," she said politely. It was heartbreaking. That poor kid probably never had the luxury of optimism, and the one time she actually got what she wanted it was just taken away so quickly. I felt like complete and utter shit.

All too soon the police officer arrived and was accompanied by a Child Welfare agent, and I hardly got a chance to say goodbye before Bree was being whisked away. I was cleared of any wrong doing, but once again, for the second time in my life, a stranger had stolen my heart and I was left feeling empty.

So after taking a few days to actually think it through, I decided to contact Social Services to try to get legal custody of Bree…

_~X~_

**Bella**

The road to finding my daughter was met with roadblock after roadblock. At first I was told that reuniting with my child was impossible, so I spoke to someone else and they said reuniting with my child was _next_ to impossible. They didn't even take my name or ask my daughter's before refusing to help me.

I spoke to over ten different people and all of them gave me the runaround before someone thankfully offered some real advice – "If the adoption papers were forged, file a police report first, and after that gets handled perhaps Social Services would be more willing to listen."

So that's what I did, but proving forgery on an official legal document was a difficult thing to do; on top of that, the agency that originally handled my daughter's adoption didn't even exist anymore. Finally after a handwriting expert confirmed that I never signed anything, Social Services were forced to take me seriously.

"Now, it's likely that your daughter was placed with a family as an infant; she may not even know she was adopted which means it's in her best interest to take everything slowly," Jay, the agent handling my case told me.

"I understand," I replied. "The most important thing to me is just knowing she's okay."

"That's good to hear," Jay said with a kind smile. "So many parents come in here demanding to reconnect with their children and they never stop and think what the child actually needs. Now listen, I'm going to be honest with you, this is still going to take some time. As you know, the agency who initially handled your case wasn't the best at keeping records; apparently they did quite a few things crookedly, which is why they were actually shut down."

"So it could take a long time to straighten everything out."

"Children who aren't adopted right away can sometimes be jumbled around from agency to agency making it a little complicated to locate them. And well, if she was adopted, reopening a closed adoption file can also take some time. There is a process."

I wanted to shout at him that I didn't give two shits about his process, but the last thing I'd ever want to do was hurt my little girl by abruptly upsetting her life, so I knew contacting her needed to be handled gently anyway. If she was in a steady loving home with the only family she's ever known, then what kind of person would I be to take her away from that? But at the same time, I didn't choose to give her up, so at the very least I wanted the chance to get to know her and be a part of that family. I had been cheated out of a life with my daughter, and no matter whose fault it was, I deserved to meet her. The fucking world owed me that much.

I took a deep breath. "Okay, well let's start the process then."


	18. Loved

Chapter 18 – Loved

**Bella**

I really didn't get how it could be that difficult to locate a child. I understood there was a process, but every day when I called in for a status report they always said the same thing – _"These things take time, Ms. Swan. There's only so much man power and there are so many cases ahead of yours."_

It was absolutely maddening. I already had her name; shouldn't that have been enough to find her? Jay did tell me that her name could have been changed, which, to me, didn't make sense. If her name was changed, then what did that mean for my father's life insurance policy? There was so much about the situation that I didn't understand, so every second that I wasn't working on my café or sleeping, I was doing research. I wanted to know anything and everything I could do to help the process along, but perhaps even more importantly, I wanted to be informed on all the things that could get in the way and make the process take longer so I could do whatever possible to fix them.

I just wanted to meet my little girl. I just needed to know she was safe and loved…

_~X~_

**Edward**

The social worker who initially took Bree from my hotel room had given me her card, so I made a phone call to her and officially started the process to become Bree's legal foster parent. I was told getting accepted into the fostering system was a lengthy procedure, but because it was a special circumstance and Bree was currently without a family, I was pretty much fast tracked. I rented out a two bedroom apartment in the city, and after a background check, home visit, my finger prints cleared, and a week-long class on parenting, Bree was officially moving in with me and we were both ecstatic….or at least I thought we were.

On the first night home, I caught Bree trying to sneak out after she thought I had gone to bed. I just didn't understand it, and I knew it was time for a heart to heart.

"Hey, I thought you wanted to be here with me. What's changed?" I asked her gently.

"I did want to be with you…more than anything, but…what's the point?" she said strangely.

"What's the point to what?"

"To any of this. We'll never be a family. It's only a matter of time before you get sick of me or someone comes and takes me away. I'd rather just leave now so I don't even have a chance at getting comfortable here."

It just about tore my heart out, and I had to admit, I did start to doubt if bringing her home was the best idea. Sure, I had missed her like crazy, but I had committed to fostering, not adopting, so I could understand her concerns. I wished more than anything that I could promise her forever and start the paperwork for a permanent adoption, but the truth was that I had become somewhat of a pessimist myself and had no idea what the future would bring. What if we got settled into a routine and I realized the whole parent thing wasn't for me, or what if she got comfortable and decided to go all 'Exorcist' on me, complete with spinning head and projectile vomit? I could promise her we'd be together for the time being, but was I really ready to commit my entire life to raising a kid I didn't know?

I wished more than anything that I could take that leap, but I just wasn't ready yet.

"Listen kid, I have no idea what's going to happen, or how long we'll be together, but I can promise you this, we're going to make the most of the time we do have."

"Really?" she asked, sounding slightly better. "What does that mean?"

"Well, it means we're going to take advantage of the city during the summer, and go have some fun. I know you lived here on your own for a while, was there anything you wished you could do?"

She thought about it for a minute. "How about going to see Lady Liberty?"

"You've never seen it?" I asked skeptically.

"Well, I've seen it from a distance, but I want to go see the inside."

I smiled. "Okay, let's go see the Statue of Liberty."

So we took a tour and I was truly amazed. The statue itself was neat, but to see Bree's excitement and complete fascination with everything was probably one of the most incredible things I had ever witnessed. Question after question, Bree asked the tour guide things I never even considered before, and when she listened to the answer she was more intent and focused than any other kid or adult I had ever encountered. I wished I was as interested in anything as Bree was in the Statue, but as I soon realized, the Statue wasn't all she wanted to lean about.

The kid loved anything to do with history and art, and a few days later when I took her to a museum, we literally spent all day there, reading and absorbing everything the place had to offer. For the next three days we visited various museums and historical landmarks throughout the city, but as much as I loved watching her discover it all, I figured it was time for her to take a step back and do some kid things as well.

"So, I was thinking we'd take it easy today and just do some fun stuff," I told her one morning.

"But we have been doing fun things," she said confused.

"Yeah, but….I was thinking we could do more normal kid things."

"Like what?" she asked legitimately baffled. – _Did she really not know how unique she was for her age?_ I didn't want to change her because she was so incredibly special, but I did think it was important to broaden her horizons and show her it was okay to play and just be silly.

"Like…I don't know, go to Chuckie Cheese or something."

"What's that?" she asked clueless. So rather than tell her about it, we got into a cab and went there. Of course, five minutes there I realized that video games and crawling through tunnels definitely weren't her thing.

"Okay, well how about we just go to a park?" I offered.

"I lived in a park for a while," she said evenly.

"Oh…right. Well, did you ever play in the playground? Or we could get a basketball and shoot some hoops?"

She bit her lower lip as she seemed to consider something.

"What?" I pressed.

"I did play soccer with a girl and her mom at that park once. They were really nice and they even brought me to their apartment and gave me a sandwich. It was probably the best time I ever had before I met you."

I nodded in understanding. "Well, do you remember where they live?"

"Yeah, their apartment was right across the street from the park I was living in, why?"

I shrugged. "We could stop by and ask them to play soccer again."

"Really?" she asked excitedly.

"Heck yeah. Let's go over there right now and see if they're busy."

"Oh, I hope they're home. I can't wait to see them again!"

I chuckled. It was really good to see her that happy. "So hey, which park was it so I know what to tell the cab driver?" I asked her as we headed for the door.

"Uh…it was called…Morning….something. It's over by that big college."

I froze. "Morningside Park?" I asked slowly.

"That's it!" she said excitedly. "Have you ever been there?"

"Yeah. A long time ago," I mumbled while thinking about hour or so I had spent there waiting for Bella to meet me. I had gone back a few times since then, just hoping to run into her since she had said she studied there from time to time, but just like that day, she never showed.

I felt myself slip into a somber mood just thinking about Bella, but as I watched Bree bouncing excitedly next to me in the cab, I realized I had held on to that depression long enough and it was finally time to let it go. Bree deserved more than someone living only a half a life, and I was going to make damn sure I gave her that.

So after going to three different apartment buildings surrounding the park, and knocking on six different doors, we finally found the right one.

"Bree!" a little girl shouted when she opened the door.

"Claire!" Bree responded equally enthusiastic.

"I thought I'd never see you again," the little girl said while hugging Bree. "Mom, Bree's back!" she called behind her.

"What?" I heard a woman say, and then the door opened wider and the woman came into view. "Oh," she said when she saw me standing there. "Well, hello Bree, it's good to see you again…especially since you're not alone anymore."

"This is my temporary uncommitted foster dad," Bree said unexpectedly.

"Oh….well, I'm still glad you're not alone anymore," the woman told her, and then she looked up at me. "Please, come in."

"Thanks," Bree said while grabbing my hand and pulling me inside. The two girls immediately ran off towards the back rooms, so I was left standing awkwardly with the woman.

"Um…I'm Emily, by the way," the woman introduced herself. "I'm sure you get this all the time, but you're the spitting image of…"

"I'm Edward," I said before she had a chance to tell me just how much I looked like myself. I was beginning to grow out my facial hair and I always wore a cap while out, hoping I wouldn't get recognized, and it seemed to work for the most part, but I also wasn't surprised that Emily knew who I was. Close up it was easy to tell.

"Edward _Masen_?" she asked dumbstruck.

"Yep. And I'm sure this must seem pretty odd."

She smiled and waved her hand in front of her face. "Nah, I get rock stars and their foster kids at my door all the time," she joked.

I chuckled. "Well, I don't know too many rock stars with foster kids."

"It's definitely the first I've heard of…Is it some kind of publicity stunt?" she asked, suddenly becoming a little less friendly.

"No, Bree sort of just…captured my heart," I said, surprisingly honest. I had no intention of telling that woman anything so personal, but as the girls' laughter carried through the little apartment, I found myself telling the woman everything that happened since Bree came into my life. I only hoped she didn't go straight to some gossip columnist the moment we left. The last thing Bree needed was to be hounded by paps screaming questions and snapping photos. But it felt really good to talk about Bree with someone who really seemed to understand. I suppose my circle of friends weren't much of the parenting type.

After spending a few hours together, Bree and I took off home and planned to meet again a few days later, but the girls were impatient and we ended up meeting again the very next day….and the day after that…and the day after that. Emily gave me helpful tips for raising a young girl, and I was more than a little appreciative, but even more than that, she was one of the few people I had met in recent years that didn't seem to give a shit about my stardom. It was nice not being looked at like some demigod, and the whole 'kid friendly' activity thing was a pleasant change from the whole rock-star/bachelor/carefree party scene that I was usually engulfed in with my buddies. _Perhaps I could commit to being a family man for the rest of my life_.

But then I started freaking out a bit…

"Are you two going to get married?" Claire asked as we were all walking to lunch one afternoon.

"Huh?" I asked completely taken aback. _Were Emily and I actually dating without me ever realizing it?_ Sure, we seemed to spend a lot of time together, and I did like the dynamic of having someone else there to share a bit of the responsibility, but did that mean we were slowly on our way to becoming a family?

I never once thought about Emily romantically, but maybe I should have. The four of us were great together and she definitely seemed to fit with who I was becoming with Bree. But was it enough?

I decided to ask Emily on an official date, and I took her out with some of the guys. The band wasn't the biggest part of my life anymore, but if I were to end up with anyone, then that someone needed to be cool with what I did for a living. I had given up everything for a girl once in my life, and I wasn't willing to do it again, at least not for anyone but Bree…_Who was I kidding, if I ever felt again what I felt for Bella, I'd give it all up in a heartbeat._ Lucky for my band, a feeling like that only came along once in a lifetime, and my chance had passed.

But to my surprise, Emily got along great with everyone. She held her own and wasn't afraid to drink a few beers straight from the bottle, and what surprised me the most was just how supportive all the guys were.

"I think it's great, man," Jasper pulled me aside to say.

"Really?" I asked, still unsure myself.

"Yeah. You've been seeing this woman for a few weeks, and that's like _years_ for you. I'm really proud of you for actually taking it slow this time," he explained.

"This is our first date," I said evenly.

"Yeah, a real date, not falling in love from having sex one time on a roof."

I gritted my teeth.

"Oh, come on, don't be like that," Jazz said defensively. "You know what I mean. This is good. Emily is beautiful and fun, and she's at a similar stage of her life as you with the whole kid thing. Maybe a complete family is just what you needed all along. Finding some contentment could do you some good. Besides, look at you, you've grown some facial hair and your hair is the shortest I've seen it since your days in the military. You're even looking the part of adult family guy."

"The haircut and facial growth is to help me stay incognito; I don't want to scare Bree by being mobbed. Speaking of being an adult and all, why haven't you settled down yet?" I asked, spinning his lecture onto him.

"Settling down isn't for everyone," he rebutted.

"Maybe you just haven't found the right person yet," I told him. "And maybe, when you do you'll just know instantly and you won't have to worry about taking it slow."

"Real love takes time to grow," Jasper said while slapping me on the shoulder and slowly leading me back to the group. "Nothing is instantaneous. I've done the whole relationship thing, and it was good while it lasted, but I don't want it back. You, on the other hand, seem to want a relationship, and yet, you don't want to put in the time. You just expect it to be there. Like I said, nothing is instantaneous, and nothing is that easy. Love is work. And I'm retired."

"I never said love was easy…obviously if it was we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, would we?"

"Touché," he relented. "But I have to ask you something. Why do I get the feeling you were hoping I'd say I didn't like Emily?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about; I think Emily is great and I'm glad everyone likes her," I said, unsure if I was being honest or not.

The next few days, nothing changed; Bree and I had some quality one on one time, and we hung with my band a bit, and we spent time with Emily and Claire, but then my freak out reached an ultimate high.

"This place is so amazing," I heard Bree telling Claire as the four of us sat in a new little café that I had never tried before. "They have the best food in the city."

"When did you ever eat here?" I asked curiously knowing I had never taken her.

"Oh I never ate inside, but their garbage was the best thing I had ever eaten," Bree said enthusiastically. "And sometimes, the cook would leave food out back for anyone who wanted it. It was the only hot meal I had for the entire time I lived on the streets."

And she was absolutely right about the food, it was amazing, but for whatever reason, sitting in The Second Chances Café while looking across the table at Emily looking adoringly back at me, I suddenly felt sick. _What the hell was I doing there?_ It was one of those surreal out of body moments where you have no idea how you got to a certain place, but it was clear to me right then that I couldn't stay there for a moment longer.

"Wait, we have to get dessert!" Bree protested when I asked for the check. "They have the best pie in the world."

"Not today," I told her evenly.

"Is everything okay?" Emily asked me when we got outside.

"Hey, girls why don't you go play on the bike rack over there," I told them, to which they happily agreed. "Emily…I wish there was some magical thing I could say to make this easier, but…."

"But you don't want to see me anymore," she finished for me.

"I'm sorry. I think you're great, really I do, but…I think I just realized that I've been trying to be someone I'm not for Bree's sake."

"Oh, please tell me you're not going to send that poor girl away?" she asked, legitimately concerned.

"No, the opposite actually. I love Bree," I told her confidently. "And every time I think about my future she's always a major part of it, but…I think I wanted to give her a family so badly that I've pushed this thing between you and me…and it's just not right. I don't want to keep stringing you along, it isn't fair to anyone."

She nodded. "I hope we can still get the girls together every once in a while."

"That would be great…And I really am sorry."

"Don't be sorry. You were never anything but wonderful, and we had a lot of fun."

So we said our goodbyes and that was that, but it seemed just as Bree and I were getting used to it being just the two of us again, fate stepped in and changed everything one more time….

"What do you mean her biological mother is seeking custody?" I yelled at the Child Services agent through the phone; I was only grateful Bree was in the shower and couldn't hear. "The woman couldn't be bothered with her for over a decade, but now, all of a sudden she wants her back? I don't think so. She must have some kind of ulterior motive, and I will not allow Bree to be hurt again!"

I was beyond angry, but more than anything, I was scared shitless. Bree and I were a family. I was literally days away from applying for a permanent adoption; I couldn't lose her now, and I wouldn't. I would fight for custody and I would do whatever it took to win, including throwing my money around and having my lawyer dig up whatever dirt on the woman to prove her to be unfit to take Bree from me…


	19. Bad News

Chapter 19 – Bad News

**Bella**

"Ms. Swan, the reason why I called you in here today is because I have some news," Jay told me.

"Okay?" I said reservedly, not wanting to get excited or anxious until I heard what he had to say.

"We've located your daughter."

I gasped, and my heart immediately began to speed. "Where….Is she okay?"

"She's…_good_."

"Wait, what is that supposed to mean? Why'd you hesitate?" I asked alarmed.

"Well, I haven't met her myself, but I've been reading her file all morning, and I have to say, it is a little concerning."

"How so?" I asked, suddenly feeling sick. He didn't even have to explain anything for me to know she had suffered; it was written all over his face.

He took a deep breath. "The first thing I read about Bree is that she was never adopted."

"Never?" I asked horrified.

"Unfortunately, no. It is rare for an infant to not be placed in a permanent home, usually there are couples fighting over babies, but….due to the fact that she was born premature and had a few issues at birth as a result, it's likely the agency couldn't find a couple willing to put in the time _or money_ to care for a special needs child. Most people want a perfect baby…not one they know has some challenges. It says in her medical report that her lungs were severely underdeveloped and they suspected possible mental impairments as well…Doctors weren't even sure if she'd live long enough to be discharged from the hospital."

"But she survived, right? I mean, why would they tell me my daughter is alive if she wasn't."

"She survived, and she's doing fine now physically, but it does say here that she has some mental developmental delays."

He stopped and stared at me for a minute.

"Okay?" I said, prompting him to continue.

"I'm sorry; it's just many times when a parent learns his or her child has some issues, they don't wish to continue with the process."

I scrunched my face in disbelief. "Nothing could ever make me not want her."

"Okay, just making sure. Special needs children often require a lot more attention than average children, and I'd hate to give this girl her mother, only to have her lose you again because you can't handle it."

"I have waited almost eleven years to learn she is alive. I would be grateful to have her back even if she had no limbs, or eyes, or ears, and was missing half her brain. She's my daughter, nothing will ever change that. I'm not like the other parents you've worked with, Mr. Jenks, I never chose to give up my child, nor did I have a legitimate reason for her to be taken from me. She was unjustifiably stolen, and I will be forever thankful to get her back, no matter what."

"I apologize, but I had to ask."

"I understand," I assured him, although I couldn't imagine any parent would be as heartless as to not want their child just because it wasn't perfect. Some people just didn't deserve to be parents at all.

"Okay, let's continue," Jay said, trying to get back on topic. "Now, she's been in and out of various children's homes and foster families, but she hasn't stayed in one place longer than six months at a time, which is one of the reasons it took so long to locate her."

"Are her needs really that difficult to handle that they couldn't find a single person willing to give her a home longer than half a year?" I asked angrily.

"Sometimes these things just happen. For some reason, Bree's had a bit of bad luck, and I don't understand it myself."

"_Bad luck?"_ I said incredulously under my breath. Was that what they called neglect; _bad luck?_ I wanted to yell at him for his comment, but really, there was no point. Jay was trying to help me, and getting on him for his choice words wasn't going to solve anything. "So, what are her needs?" I asked, hoping to move the conversation forward and get a better understanding of everything.

"Well, it says here that physically she's a normal ten year old, but mentally…she's a bit delayed. Apparently she doesn't speak much, and her academic tests are very low. The therapists who have worked with her never gave her an official diagnosis, but one note in here suggests she may have a form of Asperger Syndrome. It says she couldn't connect with people, but would listen to music all day if they allowed her to. She doesn't make eye contact, and would often just stare out the window blankly for hours at a time. – Well, here, perhaps you'd like to read this for yourself," he said while handing me a copy of her paperwork.

I scanned it quickly, intending to read it all more carefully at home that evening, but then I saw something utterly disturbing.

"What the hell is this?" I asked infuriated.

"Yes, that's another thing I wanted to talk to you about. She was recently involved in a scandal of sorts. Apparently someone on the inside found out about your father's life insurance policy, and they got together with her foster parents and planned to use Bree to steal the money. Around the same time, she ran away from the home and was missing for about two months."

"Missing?" I asked with a sharp lump in my throat. "Did those bastards hurt her?"

"It's all still being investigated."

"So that's a _yes_," I said with a mixture of heartbreak and rage.

"We don't know exactly what happened in that home, but I can assure you, it's not being taken lightly."

"And the time she was missing?"

"She was found on the streets of New York City."

"Oh my god….But it says here she went back to those people after she was found?"

"We weren't aware of the problem just yet. Bree never said a word, in fact, the agent who spoke to her asked if she ran away because she was being hurt at home, and she said no."

"Well maybe she didn't understand the question!" I yelled, getting more and more worked up.

"Like I said, Bree was known for having mental problems, so no one was all that surprised when she ran away. There aren't many people willing to take on foster kids like her, so she was returned to the family. But I can assure you, she was only back with them for a day or so, and she is in a better situation now. In fact, that is the biggest obstacle you're going to face in getting her back; she's finally in a stable home, and her case worker has reported that she's thriving. A request for permanent adoption has been filed, and they're willing to go to court to keep Bree where she is; which means you're going to need a really good lawyer and it could get pricy."

"What are the names of her current guardians?" I asked, hoping I could call them personally and explain my situation.

"For privacy reasons, I can't release any names to you at this time. I'm sure you'll have a chance to meet them during the hearing though."

"I just want to call them. This doesn't have to turn into some ugly legal battle. If these people really want what's best for Bree, then we're in agreement and I'm sure we can figure it all out."

"It doesn't work that way. Now, the fact that you are her biological mother and you never agreed to give her up will definitely push the case in your favor, but if therapists conclude that it may be detrimental to her wellbeing to be removed from her currently living situation than there may be nothing you can do."

"I'm sorry, but I just don't understand. It says here she hasn't been in her current home longer than a month, how could she have made that much progress where they won't even consider letting me meet her?"

"It's a touchy situation."

"Fine. How long until we can see a judge about this?" I asked determinedly.

"That depends on you. If you can hire a good lawyer then they may be able to move the process along faster. But if you leave it to the system it could take months."

"Months? And allow these people all that much more time with Bree? No, we need to get this done as quickly as possible."

"Alright, well here are the numbers you're going to need once you've hired a lawyer. Good luck."

"Thank you," I said before taking the copy of my daughter's file and the numbers, and leaving.

I was disheartened and even more determined at the same time. I absolutely hated that my daughter had suffered so much, but I would not stop just because some shrink said she was doing better where she was at. She belonged with me, and I would be the one to make sure she overcame the issues she got from her horrible upbringing.

"What am I going to do if I lose this?" I asked later that night over coffee with Alice and Jake. They had been helping me at the café, and they both waited around for me after closing to see how it went.

"You aren't going to lose," Alice said confidently.

"How do you know?" I asked, hoping she had a serious idea.

"Because I'm psychic," she replied with a wink.

I rolled my eyes, so she sighed. "Bella, I know you're going to get your little girl, because you are amazing. Any judge who meets you and hears your story would have to be crazy for not giving her back to you."

I smiled halfheartedly. "Thanks Alice, but…there are crazy people out there, and it seems my daughter is a magnet for them," I said sadly as I looked down at Bree's life story in my hands. "I mean, if all those other people were able to fool the system, then how could they be so sure she's with good people now?"

"You know, maybe we should get married," Jake said unexpectedly.

"Huh?" Alice and I asked at the same time.

"Being married always helps in custody battles."

"Jake, that's really sweet, but I can't ask you to do that. Besides, what would your boyfriend say?"

"Boy toys come and go, but family is forever, sweetheart," he said to me while hugging me closer to him.

"Jake, I love you, and you know I'd do anything to get my daughter, but I really don't think that's the answer."

"Well, the offer stands if you change your mind."

"Thanks….Both of you. I have no idea how I would have handled any of this if I had to do it alone."

After hiring the best lawyer I could afford, we were lucky and he was able to get the custody hearing scheduled for the following week, which I was happy about. Worst-case scenario, I never got a chance to meet my daughter; at least I'd be able to look into the eyes of the people who were raising her, and judge for myself what kind of person they truly were.

_~X~_

**Edward**

With the hearing scheduled for the following week, I had no idea what I should do. Was it wrong of me to withhold the fact that her mother wanted her back, or should I tell Bree the truth and risk hurting her? The way I saw it, if I won the case then I could adopt Bree and she'd never know and never be hurt, but if I told her then she'd either stress about it, and/or be curious and want to meet her mother thus putting her at risk for even more hurt? It was an impossible situation and I was truly confounded.

But I should have known Bree would see right through me. She was so much smarter than me, of course she'd figure out something was wrong.

"Just tell me the truth, I can handle it," she said to me one morning.

"Tell you the truth about what?" I played stupid.

"I know you're hiding something bad, just tell me."

"It's nothing for you to worry about," I lied.

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, so I sighed.

"You know, you're too smart for your own good," I told her.

"We made a pact not to lie to each other, _remember_?" she said sternly.

I chuckled. "Okay, okay," I told her before becoming serious. I lead her to the couch where we could speak more comfortably, and then I took a deep breath. "The other day I found out that…your biological mother is seeking custody of you."

I had no idea how she was going to handle it, but I certainly wasn't expecting her to act indifferent. "Oh…Well, I knew I'd have to leave soon," she said emotionlessly before getting up and walking to her room.

Of course, I followed her. "Hey…Bree." I sat next to her on her bed, and rubbed her back as she kept her attention locked on the book in her hands. "I think we should talk about this."

"Why? You're just my foster parent, and I've had a lot of foster parents. It was only a matter of time before I had to leave," she said casually.

"Okay…well, you're not feeling _anything_ about it? How about knowing your mom wants you back?"

She shrugged. "I'm not feeling anything about any of it. Last year, when I was in this one children's home, there were a few kids who had their biological parents come pick them up…they were all back within a month. I don't think being with my real mom would be any different than any other family I've been with. Maybe when she's done with me I can come back here…I mean, if you wanted me back, that is."

"Bree…I want to _adopt_ you," I told her. Maybe it was wrong of me to tell her that, in light of her mother seeking custody and all, but I needed her to know just how much I cared for her. "I want us to be a family…A real family. No more uncommitted foster dad."

She finally looked up at me. "Really?"

"Really. I've already put in my petition for adoption…But with your mother coming into the picture, I'm not sure what's going to happen anymore."

She bit her lower lip….and then she started bawling. Her hysterics were so abrupt that at first I didn't understand what happened, but then she explained through her sobs. "It's not fair! You really want to keep me and now I have to leave."

I hugged her close and kissed her hair. "Hey, no matter what happens, I will always be here for you. Okay?"

"But how?" she asked hopelessly. "What if she wants to take me far away and she won't let me see you anymore?"

"Then we'll just have to write until you're old enough to make decisions for yourself. But listen, I'm not giving up here. I have a really good lawyer and I'm going to fight for you."

She nodded and calmed down slightly, but she still remained in my arms. "Is my father trying to get me too?" she asked unexpectedly.

"I don't know. I was only told it was your mother."

"She's probably married to some douche," she said out of nowhere.

"Bree," I said, trying to sound disapproving of her choice word, but I ended up laughing. "Where did you hear that?"

"Emmett."

"Of course. Maybe having a mother in your life would be a good thing after all," I muttered. I meant it somewhat as a joke, but it came out wrong and made both of us even more upset.

"Edward, I don't want to leave you," Bree cried again.

"I don't want you to leave either…and I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure that doesn't happen."

* * *

*****A/N:** Okay, I know you're all disappointed the big reunion wasn't in this chapter, but I do tend to like to make major plot points happen on big chapter numbers, so Chapter 20 it will be ;)


	20. Flabbergasted

Chapter 20 – Flabbergasted

**Edward**

I had never been more nervous for anything in my life. In fact, I was so petrified of losing Bree that I seriously considered just taking her and running for it. But I couldn't be that guy anymore. Bree deserved more than someone who acted rash and reckless, and she certainly didn't need to live a life on the run.

"Edward, just breathe," Bree tried calming me the morning of the hearing.

I chuckled. "Hey, I thought I was supposed to be the one reassuring you."

She raised her shoulders. "We'll keep each other calm."

I smiled. "Okay, deal."

"Hey Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"If my mom doesn't take me away…and you get to really adopt me…can I call you _dad?_"

My smile faded into a bittersweet grin, and then I pulled her into me for a hug, but I didn't answer her question. As much as I'd love for her to call me dad, it was too painful to actually agree to at the moment because the truth was, I had a terrible feeling that things weren't going to go our way. I suppose my pessimism was really starting to get the better of me.

Thankfully the doorbell rang, saving me from her unanswered question.

"Thanks for coming," I said to Emmett and Rose as they walked through the door. "But you're a bit early."

"I figured I'd take you out to coffee and breakfast before it starts," Emmett explained. "You need to get out some of those jitters so you can keep your cool during the hearing."

"I don't have any jitters," I said defensively.

"Yes, you do," Bree sold me out.

Rose and Emmett both laughed. "Come on sweetheart, let's go make some pancakes," Rose said to Bree.

"I'd rather stay and have pancakes than go out," I told Emmett.

"Fine…but you do need to find a way to calm down."

After the four of us got my kitchen the dirtiest it had ever been, I hugged Bree goodbye and set out on my own to the hearing. Emmett wanted to go with me, but for whatever reason, I just felt the need to do it on my own.

But of course I was so anxious that I got there way too early, so I decided to go for a little walk to try to calm down. I wasn't really paying attention to anything other than the time, but somehow I found myself standing outside that Second Chances café, so I decided to go in and get myself some coffee after all…I only wished I realized sooner that I wasn't wearing my usual disguise of a hat and glasses.

"Oh. My. God," the host said to me the moment he came out from the back. "You're Edward Masen."

I huffed. Usually I didn't mind being recognized too much, but I just wasn't in the mood; I was far too stressed to handle any sort of stranger devotion that day.

I looked around the café to figure out an escape route from the mob that was sure to follow the host's loud recognition, but strangely the place was entirely empty.

"We're actually not open yet; I didn't know the door was unlocked," the host said, practically squealing and on the verge of a freak out.

"Oh…sorry about that, I didn't realize. Uh…Do you want me to sign something, or something?" I asked reluctantly as the man continued to stare at me like I was the most amazing sight in the world. _Were there actual tears in his eyes? – Oh, heaven help me._

"I just can't believe you're actually standing here right now…and on_ this_ day, none the less," the guy said. Yep, there were definite tears; they even rolled down his cheeks.

"Um…listen," I leaned in to read his nametag, "Jacob. I actually have somewhere to be in like twenty minutes, so I don't really have time to hang out. I was just hoping for a cup of coffee to-go, but since you're closed I guess I'll be leaving," I told him as I backed towards the door I had come in. _Why the hell didn't I just go to Starbucks?_

"No wait!" he screamed at me with unexpected urgency. "You can't go. This is fate. You have to stay and help us with this."

I could actually feel my face distort with confusion. I had no idea what he was talking about, but the thoughts that were running through my mind were more than a little disturbing. _What the hell did I walk into?_

"I'm sorry, but I really have to go."

"Please," he said almost desperately. "This could change someone's life. We really need your help."

I looked down at my watch. "Look, I'm not just trying to blow you off. I literally have like five minutes before I have to leave."

The man seemed to get excited and he actually jumped in the air before holding his hand up towards me with his five fingers spread out. "Five minutes is enough! Please, just wait there. My friend is just in the back and you really need to see her."

I sighed. "Actually we're down to four minutes now," I told him.

"It'll only take _one!_" he yelled back at me as he ran into the kitchen.

I honestly considered just leaving, but suddenly there was a strange feeling, almost a magnetic force keeping me where I was. So I waited…

_~X~_

**Bella**

"Oh my god, the answer to all your prayers is right out there in the dining room!" Jake said in a rush as he ran into the kitchen. I was just doing some last minute prep work for the day before I had to leave to the custody hearing when he came running back there, which I thought was more than a little odd. Jake had thought I was crazy for going into the café at all that morning, but to be honest, cutting onions and preparing soups were actually calming activities for me, and I needed that calmness right then.

"What are you talking about?" I asked absently as I continued to cut.

He didn't explain, he just grabbed the knife out of my hand, yanked off my hair net and apron, and then straightened out my hair with his fingers. "You're going to be over the moon in about two seconds."

"Why…what's out there?"

"Not what. _Who_," he said vaguely, which just confused me even more. I had no idea who he could be talking about. _An answer to all my prayers?_ The only person who could be the answer to all my prayers was Bree, and she certainly wasn't out there. Then again, maybe she wasn't the answer to_ all _my prayers. To be honest, the life I used to pray for consisted of my daughter, but also her father. I wanted that family more than anything else in the world…

"Yes," Jake said while pushing me to the door leading out of the kitchen.

"Yes what?"

"Yes to what you're thinking. He's here," he said before giving me one final push.

Before I even had a chance to think anything more, I saw a man standing in the dining room, looking out the back window. I couldn't see his face from where I was standing, but I didn't have to. I just knew…

"Edward," I whispered so low that I hardly heard it, but somehow it was enough to make him turn around.

He froze.

A million thoughts abruptly bombard my mind. _Was he really there?_ After all that time, after needing him for so long, how could it be possible that he was standing in my café the morning I was about to fight for our daughter? Perhaps Jake was right, perhaps he was the answer to all my prayers, perhaps having her father by my side could make all the difference in the custody case, perhaps we would really get the chance to be a family…_perhaps he didn't even remember me._

His face was blank, almost empty as he looked back at me, and suddenly I had a sinking feeling that my old trepidations was accurate; I was nothing more than a forgotten notch on his belt.

As much as I had dreamed about him over the years, as much as I ached for our family that seemed so close, I wondered if I could survive the heartbreak of his indifference. My stomach churned. If it had been any other day I would have manned up, pulled him to a booth, and told him everything. I would have forced myself to to get through it all, and then I probably would have broken down and cried myself to sleep after he left…but I just couldn't handle it _that_ day. I had to be strong for the hearing. I had to be strong for Bree.

"Uh…We're not…." I was about to play stupid and tell him that we weren't open yet; once everything settled from the custody battle I'd have my lawyer contact him and tell him about our daughter_, I had been planning on doing that since I first found out she was still alive anyway,_ but he didn't give me a chance to finish my sentence. It happened so quickly that I didn't even see him move, but nothing could ever make me miss the moment his mouth attached to mine.

His kiss was intense, hard, and rough, but somehow it was still tender and unbelievably passionate. Surreal didn't even describe it, no word ever could. He held me tightly against him as if he was holding on for dear life, and I held him back just as securely.

Every moment since the last time we were together felt like living in a war zone, constantly fighting to survive, day after agonizing day, but being in his arms again was my refuge, and his lips were my salvation. It was real. He was there and he remembered me. It was fate, and somehow I knew we'd get our daughter back as well.

And then his lips broke from mine…"You're really here?" he murmured, still holding me tightly.

"You're really here," I echoed.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for you," he whispered.

"I think I do," I replied.

But seemingly out of nowhere, he pulled away. "I have to go," he said abruptly.

"What," I asked bewildered. "I need to tell you…"

"I'll be back," he cut me off as he reached behind himself to grab the doorknob. "And if you're not here I'll wait all day…_all week_. I will find you again this time," he said confidently before opening the door and disappearing outside.

I was left standing there completely flabbergasted. _Did that seriously just happen?_ I unconsciously lifted my hand to my mouth where I could still almost feel the tingle of his lips on mine. A chill ran up my spine and I trembled violently.

"Whoa," I heard Jake say, so I looked over at him only to see a dumbfounded expression on his face as well. And then he laughed once. "That played out like a fucking _Lifetime_ Movie." When I didn't respond right away, he darted towards me and placed his hands on my shoulders, and then he shook me hard. "Wake up, honey; you're going to be late if you don't get going right now."

"But I didn't tell him…"

"He said he'd be back, right? Tell him then. In fact, it's better this way. Go get his daughter and then _show_ him the life you should have had together."

My breathing spiked, my chest tightened, and I seriously felt like I was on the verge of a panic attack. Was it possible that I was going to get everything I ever wanted? It was too good to be true, something was going to go wrong and I had no idea how I would survive it.

"Bella, go!" Jake yelled at me.

I nodded absently, and then somehow my body began to move, though it seemed to be on autopilot because my brain was still devoted to my new surrealistic reality._ I was awake, right?_ I half expected to suddenly find myself sitting up in bed at home in the dark. But the morning breeze was crisp and it stung my cheeks as I took the shortcut through the park to the courthouse, and I knew it was time to snap out of it. I wasn't asleep; I had to focus on my daughter and leave Edward for afterwards. One thing at a time, it was the only way I'd get through it.

I met my lawyer in front of the building, but before going inside he decided to give me a little pep talk…

"Now, you can do this. Remember what we're doing here. We're trying to save your daughter's life. Stay focused and make sure you explain just how tortured you were without her, and how you combed the entire planet in search for her…A few tears would be nice as well." – _Okay, so the best lawyer I could afford wasn't all that great._

"Um…I'm just going to be honest," I told him. "The truth will be enough."

"I never said to lie…but a little embellishment couldn't hurt."

" '_The whole truth, nothing but the truth'_, remember?" I told him. I was sure my statement would be under oath since it involved the federal crime of forgery, and there was no way I was going to mess with that.

"That's a minor technicality," he replied dismissively.

I let out a heavy breath. My lawyer was a moron. If I even had the hope of winning this thing then I'd have to figure out a way to basically do it myself….I was screwed.

My legal representative's lack of competence suddenly hit my like a ton of bricks. I wasn't going to win the case. How could I go on knowing my daughter was out there somewhere and I couldn't get to her? How would I look Edward in the eye and tell him he's a father, and yet, through one stupid move after another I lost her?

I honestly felt like I was going to be sick, but then…

"Bella?" I heard a voice from behind, and I instantly knew who it was. He was there. I didn't know how or why, but he was there. I turned to face him, and was surprised to see he wasn't alone.

"Edward," I said with a sense of relief I didn't expect. He was standing with a man, who looked to be a lawyer, and my first thought was that he must have gone back to the café where Jake told him everything so he came with his amazing lawyer to help…. It was a stupid ridiculous thought; there was no way all of that could have happened in the short amount of time that passed since we parted.

Obviously Edward was at the courthouse that day for a hearing of his own, which would explain why he needed to leave the café so quickly, but when his lawyer leaned in and whispered something to him, he immediately tensed. We were standing a few yards apart, and to see sudden distress on his face made me ache to close the distance between us and wrap my arms around him. But I didn't move, and neither did he. His eyes stayed locked on mine, and I watched him in bewilderment as his face fell and then harden as he seemed to process whatever his lawyer had told him.

I was about to ask him what was wrong, but without any warning that I could see, he bolted. He took off so fast towards the street that his lawyer seemed just has surprised as I was, and even looked at me with confusion as if he was expecting me to have some sort of explanation. Edward didn't hesitate or look back, he just got into the first cab that pulled up and then disappeared down the street and out of sight.

"What just happened?" I asked the man that I assumed was his lawyer.

He didn't answer. He just pulled out his phone and walked away as he made a call.

"Ms. Swan, we have to go in or we're going to be late," my lawyer said to me. "And trust me, this judge doesn't appreciate anyone being late."

I was freaking out on the inside; seeing Edward randomly twice in one day, _on that day of all days_, was almost disorienting, but I couldn't even try to figure out what it all meant right then. I needed to stay focused.

When we got into the room where the hearing would take place, we sat at the long oval table with the judge and waited…and waited…but when it passed fifteen minutes after our set start time, and my daughter's guardians still hadn't arrived, the judge decided to start the hearing without them.

"Well, after reviewing your case, I don't see any reason to deny your request," the judge told me. "Initially I thought this was going to be more of a difficult decision since the child is doing so well in her current home, but if Mr. Masen can't even be bothered to show up, then I don't see why I should be bothered to consider him as a permanent placement for the child."

"Wait…I apologize," I interrupted the judge, certain I had heard him wrong. "Did you just say _Mr. Masen?_"

"Yes, Mr. Masen, the child's current guardian." Then he turned to the bailiff. "The moment I read he was petitioning for adoption I knew this had to be some kind of joke," he said casually while signing the paperwork in front of him. "Rock stars never take anything seriously."

I gasped. Up until the moment he said "rock star" I was convinced the name _Mr. Masen_ was just a coincidence. _Was Edward really Bree's guardian?_ It was beyond unbelievable, and my logical mind refused to accept it as fact. There was just no way…except, it seemed that there was. My lawyer handed me the paperwork, making Bree officially mine again, and written there under 'Last Former Guardian' was _Edward Masen_.

* * *

*****A/N:** Before you write any hate mail for Edward's reaction, just remember you haven't read his POV yet, so give him a little bit of a break. Thanks!


	21. A Different World

Chapter 21 – A Different World

**Edward **

I was in a daze.

From the moment I saw Bella standing in front of the courthouse, and my lawyer leaned in to tell me who she was, everything changed. The world seemed to be spinning in the opposite direction, leaves blew upward instead of down, and I swear, the blue hues of the ocean and sky switched places. Were the clouds ever that shade of white before?

_Bella was Bree's mother._

I didn't know what to think or how to feel, but I had an overwhelming need to get home. I just couldn't stand there; it was too much to process and I felt like the world was caving in on me.

"Hey…You're home…._really early_," Emmett said when I walked through the door. "Uh…what happened? I thought the hearing didn't start until nine?"

"Where's Bree?" I asked absently, still swimming through a sea of befuddlement. _Bree was Bella's daughter_. The world just didn't make sense.

"In the bathroom with Rose getting her hair done," Emmett explained, his tone was still full of concern. "Edward, what's going on? Why aren't you at the hearing?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. "Emmett, I'm sorry, but I need you and Rose to leave now."

"Edward," he chided me quietly. "Don't do this, man. Don't take her and run."

I shook my head. "We can't run from this. Please….I just need you to go."

He must have seen the urgency in my eyes because after staring at me for a few moments, he nodded and then went to the bathroom to get Rose. I could hear her muttered concerns, but Emmett just told her he'd explain after they left - I only wished he'd explain it to me as well, because I honestly had no idea what was going on.

"Edward, you're back!" Bree said excitedly as she followed Rose out of the bathroom.

I didn't answer her. In fact, I could do nothing but stare at her like a deer in the headlights.

_Bella was her mother._

Outside my stupor I could vaguely hear the sounds of Emmett and Rose saying goodbye and then the door shutting as they left, but the moment they were gone Bree's innocent excitement only doubled and she began bouncing in front of me.

"Is the hearing over? Rose said it could take a long time, but you weren't gone very long at all. Is it because you have a really good lawyer and winning was easy?" She kept firing eager questions at me regardless of my lack of response, but then she asked the one thing that broke me. "Do we get to be a forever family now; can I call you _dad_?"

She wanted to call me dad?

_Bella was her mother and she wanted to call me dad. _

My lawyer didn't say who her biological father was, I wasn't even sure if it was documented anywhere… but it didn't matter. Nobody had to tell me anything and not even a DNA test could reassure me more than I already was. In that moment it all became perfectly clear; Bree was conceived eleven years ago, on a city building rooftop, during the most perfect night that ever was. Bella was Bree's mom, _and I was her dad_.

She didn't have to just call me dad…I was her father, and somehow, someway, she had found me. She ran away from her horrible situation and sought me out because she knew we belonged together. She knew that I would save her and bring her home. I honestly didn't know how I missed it for so long.

And that was it. The realization of the truth hit me so hard that I lost all control and collapsed to my knees as I began to sob.

I couldn't remember the last time I cried, and I certainly didn't want to freak Bree out, but I just couldn't hold it in. It was all too much, and when she came over and hugged my neck I just cried harder.

_I had a daughter. _

I already felt like I couldn't have loved her any more than if she was my own….but since she actually was my own, my heart grew even bigger for her. She was beyond incredible, and I was beyond thankful for whatever force that brought her into my life.

But as I feared, my hysterics freaked her out and she got the wrong idea.

"Please don't let anyone take me away," she cried with me. "I don't care that my mom wants me; I want to be with you."

She was holding onto me so tightly that I couldn't even see her face, so I forced myself to stop being a blubbering idiot, and I pried her arms loose from my neck just enough so I could lean back and look at her. "Bree, I swear to you, I'll always be with you."

"But my mom?"

"She can't even separate us. No one can. I won't let them," I said with a sudden bought of angry determination.

I had no idea why Bella gave her up, and I wanted to reserve judgment until I spoke to her, but I couldn't help feeling a truckload of bitter resentment. What on earth could have been more important than raising her baby? I just couldn't imagine it, and I had to wonder why she chose _then_ to want her back.

And then dark thoughts invaded my mind - What if Jasper had been right about Bella all along? He had said that it was ridiculous to love someone I didn't know, and for the first time I believed him. She could have been a terrible person; the vindictive type with ulterior motives. What if I had spent over a decade of my life pinning after some pathetic selfish bitch that would only want her child if there was something more in it for her? Riley and Victoria had been after the money attached to Bree's name, what if that was why Bella was now seeking custody as well?

I honestly felt sick.

But I was sure of one thing; I would go to the ends of the earth to protect her, even if that meant protecting her from Bella.

"Are we going to run away?" Bree asked suddenly.

"Why would you think that?" I asked her surprised.

"Because my mom is going to try to take me away and you just promised you wouldn't let her."

"No….We're not going anywhere." I cradled her face in my hands and just stared at her full of awe, and once again, I couldn't imagine how I missed the truth for so long. She looked so much like Bella, which only made my chest tighten because no matter how much I tried to prepare myself for the possibility of a despicable version of the woman I loved, I just couldn't see it. Bella had that same beautiful innocence that was currently being reflected from Bree's eyes, and I instantly knew there just had to be more to the story. I didn't _know_-know Bella, but I was confident that I knew her heart, so I stood and grabbed my keys. "Come on, let's go."

"But you just said we're not going anywhere."

"I meant we weren't going to_ run away_," I told her with a chuckle…though the feeling of laughing of any kind right then was more than a little odd.

"Well, where are we going then?" she asked as she pulled her shoes on.

"I'll explain on the way," I told her.

_~X~_

**Bella**

"Hey," Jake said surprised as I walked into the café's kitchen from the back entrance. "That didn't take long."

"There wasn't as much to go over as I expected," I said mechanically.

"Bella….What happened?" he asked me slowly. I turned to look at him and tried to think of a way to sum it all up, but I ended up just tearing up, and he ended up getting the wrong idea. "Oh honey, I'm so sorry. I knew that stupid lawyer of yours was going to screw it all up. But don't worry, we'll appeal the decision or something…"

I shook my head. "No. The judge granted my petition for custody," I told him as a tear rolled over on my cheek.

"Oh my god!" he shouted excitedly, but then he calmed right down. "That's amazing news…but Bells, why are you crying then?"

"Because…she's been living with Edward."

"What –who–huh?" he stuttered before comprehension hit him. "How?"

"I don't know. Somehow he had her. I don't understand any of it."

"So….he was there? The hearing was the reason why he needed to leave so quickly?"

I nodded. "He was there…but his lawyer must have told him I was Bree's mother, and he looked so…so upset…then he just left. He didn't stay for the hearing."

"My god, this really is like a _Lifetime_ movie," Jake muttered. "So, the judge just granted you custody because he wasn't there?"

I nodded again. "Oh Jake, what is he thinking right now? He's got to be even more confused than I am. I mean, does he even realize that he's her father?"

"Why would a rock star foster a ten year old girl?" Jake asked, lost in his own thoughts.

"I don't know. I didn't even get the chance to talk to him."

"Well, what did they say about you getting physical custody of Bree? When is she coming to live with you?"

I shrugged. "It was supposed to be today, but now I'm not so sure."

"What do you mean? Why aren't you sure?"

"They said they were going to contact him and give him two hours to bring her back to the courthouse….but I told them it wasn't necessary."

"You told them _what?_" Jake asked incredulously.

"She's with her father. I'm not going to demand that he bring her to me right away. I'm sure he needs time to explain everything to her."

"How is he going to explain anything if he doesn't even know the whole truth yet?" Jake asked.

I swallowed hard. "How much of any of it could she possibly understand anyway? The case worker said she's thriving with him…How could I take her away?"

"Bella, you already knew she was thriving where she was at _before _you pursued custody," he pointed out.

"Yes, but that was different. I thought she was with strangers. Strangers who could end up hurting her when she had been hurt so much already."

"Technically, Edward is still a stranger," Jake mumbled.

"No, he's her father….and he has just as much of a right to her as I do… more, actually. He's had her with him for over a month. They said she's _thriving,_" I said again. "Thriving with her father."

And then Jake did something I wasn't expecting - He grabbed a cup of water and splashed it on my face. "Snap out of it!" he yelled at me. "He _is _her father and _you_ are her mother, but now you have custody which means it's time to start acting like her mother. You need to talk to him and figure out a way to raise her together as her parents."

"It's that simple huh?" I said, realizing that it could actually be that simple. Of course we needed to raise her together; I had absolutely no idea why I was getting so worked up.

But the image of his upset features as he learned who I was haunted me. What if he didn't want to co-parent at all?

"Um…Bella?" Jake said, bringing me out of my contemplations.

"What?" I asked as I looked at him.

He didn't answer me verbally, he simply jerked his head towards the back door, so I followed his line of sight. There, standing in the doorway, was Edward.

"You're here?" I murmured.

"I said I'd come back," he answered evenly. "I usually follow through with things like that."

It was obvious that his comment was a knock at my history of not meeting him when I said I would; he was angry, and he had every right to be. There was so much tension in his stance and in his voice that I knew it was going to be far from simple, but I was also so incredibly relieved he was there. I would not let him leave again until I told him everything.

"Is Bree okay?" I whispered as more tears rolled over my cheeks.

He stared at me for a moment, and then he nodded. "She's fine."

I nodded in return. "Edward, I can't imagine what you must be thinking about this…"

"Why did you give her up?" he interrupted me, getting straight to the point. "I honestly can't understand why anyone wouldn't want her."

"I've always wanted her," I told him slowly.

I was about to explain, but he needed to ask me a question first. "Am I her father?"

I bit my bottom lip, and then nodded as even more tears spilled.

He didn't seem surprised whatsoever; it was as if he already knew but was just seeking conformation.

"Let's go for a walk," he said abruptly, though I wasn't sure why I was surprised; a busy café kitchen wasn't the place for that conversation.

So we walked…but for whatever reason neither of us spoke. I wasn't sure if I was leading him or he was leading me, but somehow we ended up in a park…A very familiar park.

"Is this?" I asked.

"Morningside Park; I thought it would be fitting to have this conversation here," he explained. "It's funny, this park, your café, even the courthouse are all in walking distance."

"Edward, you will never know how terribly sorry I am for not meeting you that day," I said emotionally. "This has all been…one terrible mistake after another."

"What happened?" he asked as we went to sit on a bench. The park was vibrant and loud with children running about, but it actually felt like the perfect setting for the turbulent walk down memory lane.

I took a deep breath, and then I told him absolutely everything; from what I had been studying in college, all the way to my painfully lonely present, and everything in between. I told him about my dad and why I never met him that day, and how I lost Bree in the first place. And of course, I told him about the moment I found out she was still alive and the feeling of urgency I had felt about getting her back.

Edward didn't say a word the entire time, he just listened, and strangely enough, getting it all out there was more than cathartic, it was strangely easy as well. I thought it would have been so much more difficult to tell him everything, he was after all, still very much a stranger, but like when we first met, I felt like I had always known him. There was a level of comfort with him, almost even a feeling of home that I had never experienced with anyone else. He was already my family; there would never be a need to talk about it or to put anything on paper…we just were.

And thankfully, he wasn't upset anymore either….or maybe he actually was. He was just as upset with the world as I was, we lost so many years together and none of it was fair.

"It's time to make it right," Edward told me intensely. I half expected him to kiss me again, but he didn't, in fact, he seemed to be purposely keeping his distance. Even when he stood he took a step away from me so we couldn't touch accidentally. "Are you ready to meet our daughter?"

My heart skipped. "She's here?"

He smirked, and then looked towards the playground before waving at a woman standing on the other side, and she waved back. They obviously knew each other so I assumed she must have been the one watching Bree. "I bet you can spot her," he said to me unexpectedly.

My stomach erupted in violent butterflies. How was I supposed to spot her when I had no idea what she looked like?

But then my eyes zeroed in on a particular little girl playing on the tire swing with another girl. She had beautiful long brown hair that shined bronze in the sun, and I instantly knew. Her smile was exactly like Edward's, and as she leaned back and giggled with her friend, I was absolutely sure that I'd know her anywhere.

Of course I immediately started crying, it wasn't even possible not to. She was absolutely incredible and as much as I ached to hold her, I also wanted to just watch her in awe for a while, which I suppose would work in my favor – I needed to get control of myself before I scared her.

Edward didn't say anything more to me, or move to try to console my sobs; he just stood there beside me as we watched our daughter together.

When my crying slowed, he finally glanced at me again, and must have decided it was time. "Yo Bree!" he shouted at her, making me jump.

My butterflies multiplied as she stopped what she was doing, and turned to grinned at her father. Edward waved for her to come, so she hugged her little friend goodbye and then skipped towards us. However, the moment she noticed me there she slowed, and then suddenly darted to Edward's side to hide behind him.

He squatted down to be closer to her level, and then he whispered something to her, making her nod and she finally peeked up at me shyly. He stood back up, but she stayed securely by his side.

God, I just wanted to wrap my arms around her and breathe her in, but I knew she needed me to take it slow. Bree was absolutely perfect, but I had to keep reminding myself that she was unique and probably wouldn't take to anyone new right away; heck even average children wouldn't, so I forced myself to stay where I was…. But I did want to talk to her.

"Hi Bree…I'm so happy to finally get to meet you," I said, trying like hell to keep my emotions under control, but losing it slightly at the end.

"Can I stay with Edward?" she asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Bree, we talked about that on the way here," Edward told her gently. "You need to spend some time with your mom, but we're still going to see each other all the time."

She squeezed his arm tighter and glared at me, so it was my turn to get down to her level. "I would never take you away from your dad," I told her honestly. I wasn't looking at Edward's face, but I could tell by his sudden tension that Bree had no idea he was her father. I suppose he never had time to tell her, I only wished I knew the best way to handle it.

"Edward isn't my dad…but he's going to adopt me so maybe you should just go away," Bree told me harshly.

I was worried about how much she could understand and how much I should tell her, but she needed to know the truth so she could feel secure…

"Bree…Edward _is_ actually your father," I told her gently.

She scrunched her face, and suddenly I got lost in the amazing way her little features moved, so thankfully Edward took over.

"Bella and I met eleven years ago, and you were the result," he told her bluntly. She raised her brows in shock.

"So…She was your girlfriend and you didn't know about me because you separated before she found out she was pregnant and then she had to give me up and then I came and found you because I knew we were supposed to be together?" she said in a rush of unbelievable understanding.

"Um…Something like that," Edward said with a slight chuckle.

Bree immediately relaxed, and she even let go of Edward's arm to speak to me. "So…I can stay with _my dad? _Maybe you can stay with us too and we can all hang out together?"

To Bree, it was simple. There was no need for some huge long explanation, or perhaps she knew there would be time for that later; she was just so happy that she'd get to stay with Edward, and everything else was just a bonus.

"We're going to figure it all out," I assured her.

She suddenly shot me the most breathtaking smile I had ever seen on anyone…and then she hugged me, and for the first time in a very long time, the world finally felt right again…


	22. Sleeping Over

Chapter 22 – Sleeping Over

**Bella**

Just like how I never forgot the feeling of being in her Edward's arms, I knew I'd never forget what it felt like to hold our daughter for the first time. Having her there with me, _having them both with me,_ was the most incredible thing in the world, and I was so beyond grateful for the blessing of being reunited.

But as amazing as it felt, I knew we still had our work cut out for us. There was a lot of lost time to make up for, and I didn't want to waste a single moment of it.

I needed to know everything that I missed, I needed to know Bree, so I asked carefully, not wanting to overwhelm her or seem pushy, and she surprisingly told me much more than I expected. At first she was a little shy, but then suddenly, with an encouraging wink from Edward, she seemed to completely open up. She told me about her different homes and how some were better than others, and she also told me about her most recent foster siblings and how they ripped her beloved Cullen poster –

"But it doesn't matter anymore, because he's my dad so I don't need a poster," – she told me excitedly.

The three of us sat on that park bench for over two hours, and Bree talked almost the entire time, only pausing when Edward described his version of events that lead to their union; of course, she did interrupt him a few times to make sure he was telling the story right, and there was no way to not smile at that.

Their bond was as clear as day, and I was finally able to understand what her case worker had meant when he reported that she was thriving, because she really was. She adored Edward and he adored her, and if it had turned out that they weren't related, I could honestly see how separating them would have been terribly traumatic.

There was still so much I wanted to know about her, but we had time, so the three of us decided we had been in the park long enough and we took off walking.

"It's past lunch, why don't we stop and get something to eat?" Edward suggested.

"Hey, that café isn't far from here, can we eat there again?" Bree asked.

"My café?" I said surprised. "You've eaten there before?"

"Second Chances is _your_ café?" Bree asked excitedly. "Can we eat for free?"

Edward and I both chuckled. "Of course you can," I assured her.

She bounced along happily. "It'll be just like when I used to eat the trash."

"Huh?"

"Your café had the best in the city," she clarified.

I took a deep breath and tried not to show my distress from the topic. I absolutely hated that she had lived alone on the streets for so long, and the fact that she had actually been that close to me made me that much more upset. I didn't understand why I couldn't have found her sooner and saved her from months of hardships, but I had to keep telling myself that everything happened for a reason – Had Bree not found Edward the way that she did, perhaps our reunion wouldn't have been so perfect. Perhaps those awful people who had her before would have put up a bigger custody fight and I wouldn't have been able to meet her at all. I was grateful for the turnout that we did get, so I had to keep trying not to dwell on the negative.

Of course, it was hard not to dwell on the fact that Edward was most certainly keeping his distance from me. It was wrong of me to think we'd just fall into the perfect family, nothing was ever that simple, but with that amazing reunion kiss we shared that morning, I was surprised that he wasn't more affectionate. We couldn't exactly make out in front of our daughter, but if he would've only held my hand, or at the very least, given me some kind of clue that he still wanted me, it would have made all the difference. He wouldn't even make solid eye contact with me; every time our eyes touched, he would quickly look away making it painfully obvious that he didn't feel the way I did.

But I couldn't be greedy. I had my daughter back, and that was all that mattered.

Bree bounced in the booth all throughout lunch, but the fact that she asked to sit next to me made my heart melt. _She actually wanted to sit with me_, and Edward didn't even have to nudge her to do it. It was weird being a customer in my own café, especially when Jacob kept coming over and 'casually' asking us if we needed anything else, basically just to eavesdrop. And when we were done eating, Bree asked to see the kitchen, so we went back there and she proceeded to give the cooks hugs – "Thanks for leaving food out for me" – she told them.

She was friendly, made plenty of eye contact, and like any other kid her age, she hardly took a breath between words when she spoke. I had no idea how she acted around all the case workers and therapist she encountered in the past, but I truly couldn't see how anyone could ever think there was something wrong with her. Perhaps it was the fact that she had been so jumbled around that she never had time to acclimate anywhere, and now, with Edward's influence, she was finally able to relax and express herself. It was just one more way that the two of them belonged together, but as the day wore on, and the sun got lower in the sky, I began to get nervous. Was she going to come home with me, or should I let it go and plan out more of a split living arrangement with Edward at a later date?

Thankfully, I wasn't the only one thinking about it, and Bree had it all planned out…

"Can we go home now?" she asked Edward. "I want my mom to see my room and spend the night so we can all stay together."

"Um," he hesitated, "sure, I guess. I mean, if she wants to."

They both looked at me for an answer.

"I'd love to spend the night with you," I told her, but then bit my lip as Edward and I made real eye contact for the first time all afternoon.

"Great! So let's go to your place and pick up your stuff for the slumber party, and then we can go home and watch a movie and have popcorn."

When we arrived at my apartment, Bree immediately started looking around and figuring where everything was at, and she easily found Jacob's old room which I had redecorated with girly stuff for her. She politely said "Thank you," but it was clear that she wasn't too happy about the thought of staying there, and neither was Edward. He was extremely uncomfortable as he awkwardly stood in the living room waiting for us to be ready to leave.

I grabbed a small duffel bag and filled it with a change of clothes and all my toiletry essentials, and then we took off for Edward's apartment.

The cab ride to get there took longer than I expected, but I certainly wasn't surprised to see the apartment building he lived it. It was fitting of any rock star, and I had to wonder how a little girl could ever feel like a kid and be comfortable in such a fancy place, but then I actually saw the inside of their apartment….

"Yeah, it's a bit of a mess," Edward said embarrassedly as we walked inside and he hurried to grab the cups and dishes left about. "This morning when I left for the hearing I certainly didn't think you'd ever be here," he explained sheepishly.

"It's fine, really," I said, relieved it didn't have that stiff 'rich' feeling that I had expected. Bree had books on the end tables in the living room, he had his tennis shoes by the couch, and they both had coats, sweatshirts, and even discarded socks everywhere. It felt very homey, and I was so glad.

"Come see my room!" Bree said excitedly before grabbing my hand and pulling me down the back hall, and I nearly cried again when I saw it. There was no pink or butterflies like I had put in her room at my place, and I immediately realized that wasn't who Bree was. She liked music and real art, not the cartoon childish stuff I had assumed a ten year old would want. Her room reflected exactly the kind of amazing kid she was, and I knew I had to change her room at my place if she was ever going to feel comfortable there.

The three of us all relaxed a bit as we played a couple board games and then watched a movie, and because it had been a long day, Bree decided to get to bed fairly early.

"You sure you're ready for bed?" Edward asked skeptically. "It's only eight; you usually stay up until nine thirty."

She yawned. "Yeah, we got up early this morning, remember? And I want to get up early tomorrow morning again so we can make breakfast together."

"Alright, get on to bed then. I'll be in to say goodnight in a bit."

"Okay," she said with a smile, and then turned to me. "Will you come say goodnight too?"

"Of course."

Edward and I gave her a minute to use the restroom and brush her teeth, and then we both went in to kiss her goodnight, but I wasn't ready to leave just yet. "Can I lay in here with you for a little while?" I asked her after Edward left.

She nodded. "You can sleep all night in here if you want. It's not a big bed, but it's more comfortable than the couch."

"Thanks," I told her.

It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, but I wasn't tired so I just watched her in awe.

_My baby. _

Watching her sleep reminded me of the times when I would lay awake in my bed, just feeling her move inside of me and daydreaming about what she would look like. And I had been exactly right. I could see her so clearly back then, and even after I was told she had died, a small part of me never believed it. She was alive, she was there, and it was all real.

I wasn't sure how long I stared at her slumbering, but at some point her bedroom door squeaked open and I reflexively looked towards it.

"Oh, sorry," Edward mumbled.

He was about to leave, but I stopped him. "No, it's fine," I assured him as sat up carefully, hoping not to shake the bed and wake Bree.

"I just wanted to let you know that my bed has fresh sheets for you," he said quietly.

"Oh…I was just going to sleep in here with her," I told him.

"She thrashes in her sleep," he warned me lightly. "She'll be completely flipped around my morning."

I giggled and then stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "I can't get over how much she looks like you," I told him.

"_Like me?_ I can't believe I missed how much she looks like _you_. You're all I see when I look at her now. She's absolutely beautiful, just like her mom."

I was glad it was dark, because I could feel my face flood with heat.

"Well, the bed is available if you get too abused during the night," he told me with a smile in his voice. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I replied, but as he left, I was left once again feeling confused. The three of us fit so well together, and I honestly did feel like I had known Edward forever, but there was still that bewildering tension between us that left me reeling. He kissed me so passionately just that morning, but then things got weird and I didn't know what that meant.

As much as I wanted to lay there with Bree all night, I refused to let that weirdness go on any longer; we had already lost too much time, so I got out of her bed and went to talk to Edward.

"Hey," he said, surprised to see me. He was sitting on the couch in the living room watching TV, and I had to admit, it was surreal seeing him in such a casual position after only seeing him in my dreams and on the cover of magazines for so long. "Did she kick you in the face already?" he asked with a chuckle.

"No," I told him, intending to sound light but failing horribly.

"What's wrong?" he asked concerned.

My plan was to boldly ask him why he hadn't kissed me again, but as I stared at him and tried to find my voice, something in me snapped. The next thing I knew, I had crawled onto his lap and was straddling his waist, and before he could say anything, I planted my lips to his. He kissed me back reservedly at first, but just when I started to think he wasn't a willing participant, he pulled me tighter into him and kissed me hard…which wasn't the only thing that was hard between us.

Whatever reason he had been keeping his distance before, he certainly wasn't anymore. There was a sort of frenzy that erupted between us, and we kissed and groped as much of the other as we could reach. It was eleven years of pent up longing desires, and it felt so amazing that everything else disappeared.

I didn't really notice when he lifted me up and carried me down the hall to his bedroom. I didn't feel my clothes coming off, and my brain never consciously told my hands to remove his clothes either; everything was just so raw and natural that thinking wasn't even necessary. But when his lips moved to my neck and my head fell back as a response, I forced my mind back into the moment because I wanted to remember every second of it.

Suddenly, for a brief moment, I became self-conscious; the last time we were together we were basically fully dressed, in fact, I had never really been naked in front of anyone, but as his lips trailed down my chest, and he let out a low moan which vibrated right though me and down my spine, all my trepidations vanished. Every touch, every kiss, every sound he made conveyed nothing but passionate desire, and for the first time in my life, I actually felt sexy. Edward Masen wanted me, he saw every inch of me and still wanted me, how could I ever feel insecure after that.

He moved us onto the bed, and my legs reflexively parted to welcome him between them. His lips crashed back down to mine as he reached between us to get himself into the right position, and then he lifted his head back just enough to look me in the eye, and he pushed into me slowly.

"Bella," he breathed. He kissed me again as he began moving, and when his rhythm increased, he said my name again. It was as if he couldn't believe it was actually happening, and I felt the same exact way.

The taste of his skin, the flavor of his lips, the feeling of him inside of me, it was all so amazing that I didn't know how I could survive it. Was it possible to die from pleasure? If so then I'd die happily and never regret it.

He pushed and I'd pull, he'd give and I'd take. It was an agonizingly blissful battle against the impending explosion, but unfortunately neither of us was strong enough to fight for long, and we both completely succumbed and were left panting for air.

I had never felt anything like it, but after a few minutes to catch our breaths, Edward proved that I hadn't even begun to experience real ecstasy.

We made love all night, each time somehow getting better than the previous, and just as dawn started breaking through the blinds, I finally felt myself drift off into the serenity of his embrace.

I had no idea what the new day would bring, but I couldn't wait to find out…_I only hoped we'd have a couple hours to sleep first…_


	23. Impulsion

Chapter 23 – Impulsion

**Bella**

I had no idea how long I actually slept for, but it wasn't nearly long enough. The only thing that could have ever made me wake up that soon, and actually get out of bed at all, was knowing that my daughter was right in the next room.

"She's still sleeping," Edward mumbled as I pulled on my shirt.

"How do you know?" I asked while looking over at the clock. It was eight thirty AM, and with her going to bed so early the night before there was no way she was still sleeping.

"Because she's being quiet. She's never quiet in the mornings," he explained groggily.

He was lying on his stomach with his head turned towards me, but his eyes remained closed and he hadn't moved through our entire micro conversation, so I leaned down to stroke his hair and kiss his temple. "I honestly don't know how I'm ever going to leave here," I whispered, mostly to myself.

"Then don't," he said simply.

God, he was beautiful. Everything about him; his face, his hair, his body, even his voice was just perfect, and I wanted nothing more than to just melt into him and never be separated from him, but we did have some important things to discuss, and taking advantage of Bree's stillness was necessary.

"Edward…why were you so…_distant_ yesterday?" I asked hesitantly, and felt stupid about the question the moment it escaped my lips. We had only met once before over a decade prior, it was ridiculous for me to think he'd just want to act like a couple right away. But the question was already out there and I had no idea how to take it back.

He rolled onto his back and finally opened his eyes to look at me, and then he smiled crookedly. "How else could we have made it through the day? If I got too close I'd want to kiss you, and do you honestly think that if I kissed you again I would've been able to stop?"

I giggled and immediately felt worlds better. "I suppose not."

"Besides," he continued, but paused briefly to rub and kiss my leg which was right by his face. "I wasn't about to assume you were unattached and wanting more. I practically forced myself on you yesterday morning, and you could have been with someone for all I knew."

"You did _not_ force yourself on me. That kiss," I leaned over to kiss his lips tenderly, "was unexpected, but definitely welcomed."

"Well, I suppose it's a little late, but I should ask if you're married…or engaged, or otherwise dating anyone in anyway?" he asked while caressing his hand upwards towards my thigh.

I giggled again, and then shook my head no. "How about you?"

He shrugged.

"Is that a _yes?_" I asked incredulously. "You have a girlfriend?"

"I don't know, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked unexpectedly.

I smiled widely. "Aren't we rushing this again? We should probably go on a date before we commit to titles like 'girlfriend and boyfriend'," I joked.

"I completely disagree; getting married this morning would be rushing things…but, maybe rushing things isn't such a bad idea."

"Because it worked so well for us the last time."

"It actually did. Bree's perfect."

"True," I agreed. "Well then I suppose the place we went wrong was ever separating at all."

"Well we both know where each other lives now…and we have a daughter to share, so we're pretty much stuck in each other's lives for now on. You can't escape me again," he said playfully. "I've been to war since the last time you got away, my stalking skills have definitely improved."

His tone was light, but in made my heart ache. "I read about your deployment in some magazine…that must have been terrifying," I said to him quietly.

"It wasn't the worst thing I ever experienced."

"It wasn't?" I asked surprised.

"Nah…" he scooted even closer to me so he could rest his head in my lap, and then he hugged my torso and kissed my stomach before looking back up at me. "I went there to hide from the pain of losing you…It never worked."

My breath caught. _Had he really joined the military because of me?_ I never felt so guilty of anything in all my life, and yet, it somehow just made me trust in our connection even more. "We still don't know each other," I whispered.

"It doesn't matter," he said unfazed. "Nothing could ever make me not love you. Even for the brief moment I when thought you were a wretched greedy bitch that didn't give a shit about our baby, I still loved you."

I raised my brows and laughed once. I doubted there was another man on the planet that could use the words 'wretched' and 'bitch' and still be that dazzling; even his casual use of the L word felt exactly right. We didn't need some dramatic speech about love to say it for the first time, like everything else with us, it just flowed out like a natural part of our existence…

"Well, I'd love you even if you had a lavish amount of disgusting STDs that you got from your hundreds of groupies," I told him.

He looked at me with mock offense. "I do not have _hundreds_ of groupies…I have thousands."

"Okay, I'm going to need all of their names and numbers so I can tell them to go fuck around with some other rock star then, because you belong to me now."

He shook his head. "Baby, I've belonged to you since the first moment I ever saw you."

I bit my bottom lip and tried to keep myself from blushing, but it was of no use. "Maybe we shouldn't risk it then. I mean, what's the point in waiting when we've already been waiting for so long? Let's just throw caution to the wind and get married today." – I meant it as a joke…_sort of_…but be didn't seem to take it as one.

"Okay. Let's get Bree ready and head down to the courthouse before the lines get too long."

I had no idea how serious he was, but I was going to go with it for as long as he was. "Alright, I'm going to get dressed."

"Okay," he said with a grin; a grin that I still didn't know well enough to tell if it was serious or the joking kind.

When we were both dressed, _in our very non-formal /non-wedding-ish attire_, we went to peek in on Bree, but she wasn't in her room.

As a new mother, my first thought was to panic; Edward, on the other hand, was cool as a cucumber. He just walked straight into the kitchen and there she was…covered in flour.

"You're awake!" she said excitedly. "I was just making breakfast."

I was immediately flooded with relief, and then I got excited too. I had cooked with my mom when I was little, and I couldn't wait to cook with my daughter.

Edward must have realized, or perhaps even remembered, just how important it was for me to have that bonding experience with her, so he basically took a step back and let us have that time.

It looked as though they had just made pancakes the morning before, but Bree insisted it was her favorite breakfast so that's what we made. Bree was so excited to learn new ways of cooking them and all the various toppings that I liked to use, and then the three of us sat and ate our first meal at home together.

"Are you going to live here with us now?" Bree asked me as we were finishing up.

"Uh…"

"Yes, she is," Edward answered for me.

"Are you going to get married?" she asked eagerly.

"Yep," Edward answered immediately. "In about an hour," he said without a trace of humor.

"Really?" she shouted. "So we're really going to be a real real family?"

"Yeah, so go get ready to go," Edward told her. She jumped right up and then ran to her room, so Edward used her absence to grin at me. "I really hope you weren't joking before, because now she's all excited."

I giggled. "I guess we have to do it then. I mean, what kind of parents would we be if we disappointed her so soon after getting her back."

"You know, I don't believe in divorce either," he told me straight faced. "It's all or nothing."

I bit my bottom lip. "Well, I guess we should go for the 'all' then."

So that was exactly what we did; as soon as Bree was ready, we headed down to the courthouse. Luckily we were able to get our marriage license and actually get married the same day, and less than two hours later we were married.

It all happened so fast that I wasn't even sure if I believed it, but the three of us were beyond thrilled, and the fairy tale wasn't anywhere near over. After the documents were all signed making us legally married, we stopped by a jewelry store and Edward insisted that I picked out a wedding set. At first I wanted something small, but he wasn't really happy with my choice so Bree stepped in and picked one of the biggest rings there, which Edward readily agreed. And it was beautiful, just way more extravagant than I ever imagined. Then again, with what he did for a living, I could see how his wife having a small ring would look odd. I loved Edward so much more than any materialistic thing, and I loved him enough to do whatever was expected of me as his life partner. Edward also bought a matching band for himself, and a gorgeous necklace for Bree, and the three of us went back home to celebrate privately.

Bree went and got her iPod, and she attached it to the speakers in the living room and made Edward and I have our first dance as husband and wife…of course, it was our first dance with each other at all, and I learned that he was an amazing dancer, and he learned that I wasn't. But neither of us cared, we just laughed and kissed and were so in love that nothing was going to get us down. Edward also danced with Bree, and I danced with Bree, and the three of us danced together, and I could honestly say it was the best morning of my entire life. But then we had some unexpected wedding crashers…

"Sorry, no soliciting," Edward said when he opened the door, and then he shut the door in whoever's face that was there. But they obviously weren't happy about it because they came inside anyway.

"Where the hell have you been?" a man shouted at him. "We've been trying to get a hold of you for two days now. We thought you took off. What the hell happened with the hearing?"

I was sitting on the living room in a place where they couldn't see me, but Bree got up to happily greet them. "Hi Jasper, hi Emmett!"

"Hey munchkin…I thought you'd be with your mom," one of them said carefully.

"I am, she's here…And they just got _married!_" she told them excitedly.

There were a few beats of silence, so I decided it was best to join them and introduce myself, but when they saw me they stared like I had something on my face. "Um…hi, I'm -"

"Roof top girl," the bigger guy said strangely.

"Huh?" I asked confused, and turned to look at Edward just as he was punching him in the arm.

"So...what's going on?" the smaller of the two guys asked.

"Bella, is Bree's mother," Edward told them. "And I'm her father."

Both men's mouths fell open in shock.

"See, sometimes following your heart, even when it doesn't seem to make sense, isn't the wrong way to go," Edward told them smugly.

"And so…you just went out and got married?" the bigger guy asked slowly, still in shock.

"Impulsion seems to be our thing," Edward replied unapologetically. He looked at me and smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back at him. Impulsion was definitely our thing, I only hoped it was enough to truly last a lifetime.

"Um…wow," the shorter guy said. "So…wow," he added, not knowing how to respond.

"I'm Emmett, by the way," the bigger guy said while reaching his hand out towards me. "I think we met once briefly…_very briefly_. Hey, I still have that picture I took of you that night."

"Oh…cool. I'm Bella," I said while shaking his hand.

"And this is Jasper," Edward introduced the other guy.

He didn't offer his hand, but he forced out a somewhat friendly smile. "Nice to finally meet you."

"You too," I replied.

We all kind of stared at each other awkwardly for a moment, but then Emmett decided to express his shock of the event again. "Wow, so Bree is really your kid?"

Edward smiled and nodded, and then quickly explained how she ended up in the system, which only seemed to make Emmett even more astonished. "So, all this time, you were missing Bella, and Bella was missing Bree, and Bree was missing you…you know, because she liked the band so much and all."

"It's pretty incredible," Edward agreed.

"It's unbelievable," Jasper said, but his tone was definitely not a positive one. "Edward, can I speak to you in the other room please."

"Nope," Edward said quickly. "I already know what you're going to say, and just, _no._ You worry far too much, Jazz, and I appreciate it, but I don't need it this time. Everything will be fine."

"I just think you should have talked to Liam before signing a marriage contract," Jasper said under his breath. "I'll call him for you."

"Jasper, I said no. It's fine. We're going to be fine," Edward tried reassuring him.

"Listen, if this doesn't work out, I swear, I have no desire to go after his money," I told him. "And we'd make sure to find a way to share Bree."

Jasper sighed. "Well, for everyone's sake, I hope you're sincere."

"I am."

"Thanks for your concerns, but you both need to leave now," Edward told them. "It's our wedding day, and only immediate family is invited," he said while winking at Bree.

She smiled and winked back.

Jasper still seemed concerned, but he let it go, and both he and Emmett congratulated us before saying goodbye.

"Well, that went _well_," I sighed.

"Jasper is always concerned about legalities first," Edward explained dismissively as he came over to wrap his arms around me. "He'll get over it."

"I hope so. I don't want to cause a rift between you."

He chuckled once. "Too late for that."

"Huh?"

"It wasn't your fault, but I did quit the band because I couldn't deal after we parted."

I bit my lower lip and had to fight back my tears. "I'm so sorry. If I had just gotten out of that stupid cab that day…"

"Bella stop. There's nothing we can do to change it, so there's no point in beating yourself up over it. What matters is that we're together _now_."

I took a deep breath. "We're going to make this work, right?" I asked him emotionally.

"Whatever it takes," he said with conviction.


End file.
